Sheriff charges Deputies

[Tom Cooper]

September 17, 2008 - 4:17PM
Kevin Chilcutt
As reported by WZEP 1460 AM
When county commissioners were unreceptive to Walton County Sheriff Ralph Johnson's request for an additional $320,000 to his 2008-09 budget, Johnson immediately took measures to reduce his budget.
In a memo dated Sept. 16, the sheriff advised all supervisors and deputies that beginning on Oct. 1, all those taking a county-owned vehicle home will be charged $100.
The day before, county commissioners had rebuffed Johnson's request for additional funding.

It appears this "shortfall" is the direct result of Sheriff Johnson hiring more employees than he was budgeted for. It is my understanding that the $100 fee is not optional, even if you chose to park the car at the office. It is more testament to the fact that Sheriff Johnson's fiscal management is/was in dire straights due to poor management practices, something that was brought to light numerous times during the primary. Unfortunately, the innocent hard workers will suffer, again; remeber the payroll tax fiasco? I also understand he paid the CPA $70,000 for services rendered. That baby went out with the bath water, dont you think?

 

[The Watcher]

BOHICA again

September 17, 2008 - 4:17PM
Kevin Chilcutt
As reported by WZEP 1460 AM
When county commissioners were unreceptive to Walton County Sheriff Ralph Johnson's request for an additional $320,000 to his 2008-09 budget, Johnson immediately took measures to reduce his budget.
In a memo dated Sept. 16, the sheriff advised all supervisors and deputies that beginning on Oct. 1, all those taking a county-owned vehicle home will be charged $100.
The day before, county commissioners had rebuffed Johnson's request for additional funding.

It appears this "shortfall" is the direct result of Sheriff Johnson hiring more employees than he was budgeted for. It is my understanding that the $100 fee is not optional, even if you chose to park the car at the office. It is more testament to the fact that Sheriff Johnson's fiscal management is/was in dire straights due to poor management practices, something that was brought to light numerous times during the primary. Unfortunately, the innocent hard workers will suffer, again; remeber the payroll tax fiasco? I also understand he paid the CPA $70,000 for services rendered. That baby went out with the bath water, dont you think?

Poor management is the key here. This is still out of hand and needs to be stopped, anybody in Tally read this site???? help...

I too have heard of this fee not being optional, thus if you live in South Walton, partol South Walton and you park you car at the South Walton Substation using your personal vehicle to travel to and from the "office", you are still subject to the "fee". If this is true, this would be illegal (just my opinion) and the County is now open to yet another law suit.

Now, do the Alabama Deputies pay $100 or do they pay more? One would think that only fair. Also, are the unmarked cars (Investigations and Narcotics) included in this? How about the dispatcher's Camaro?

What is he going to do next? Implement a traffic stop fee. If a deputy pulls over a citizen, the deputy must pay Ralph $50. The citizen must pay Ralph $50 plus the fine on the ticket (if issued). Ralph takes the money and spends it on an attorney. Or how about a stupity fee. Ralph pays Walton County for all the monies he has so wisely spent. At what point does an elected officials mismanagement and poor decision making become a civil liability (for the official)?

This is so sad and unjust.

 

[Badges?]

Sad is an understatement. Fiscal mismanagement of our Sheriff's Office continues. Ralph could have taken the "high road" with any number of viable solutions to fix the "shortfall" including the symbolic jesture of forgoing his salary for the remainder of his term. I wonder if the 17.5% who actually thought he was doing a good job still feel that way? The continued lunacy will certainly create additional problems for the next Sheriff. We will be paying for stupid decisions long after January 2009.

 

[sweetgal]

I havent posted anything in a long time about this election. I have to say I am very happy with the results so far, but this is just insane. These poor men and women who put their lives on the line everyday are now having to pay to work. What is that all about. Here we all are on a very tight budget I am sure with the world the way it is. Imagine your boss coming to you tomorrow and saying " you have to pay 100 dollar to sit at your desk." I am sure that would hurt alot of people. I think this stinks, and he is being a sore loser. Something needs to be done about his behavior. He is causing serious issues for whoever takes over as the new Sheriff in 2009.

 

[WCcitizens]

What tha ****

Let me get this straight.....The deputies are required to drive their car home in case they are called out for an unannounced sheriff's office emergency in the middle of the night.....and then the cookin' sheriff is charging the deputy $100 for fuel to drive the car home????????????????? Please.... will somebody do something about this guy! Is their any type of legal action these poor deputies can take against this guy without getting fired? I may be wrong but how can an employer take any type of $$$$ out of someone's paycheck without prior approval from the employee? If I was a deputy, and I'm having to pay money for fuel to patrol the streets....Then I would use the car to go buy groceries, get a haircut, Dr. Appt's , etc...

 

[southbeach]

Let me get this straight.....The deputies are required to drive their car home in case they are called out for an unannounced sheriff's office emergency in the middle of the night.....and then the cookin' sheriff is charging the deputy $100 for fuel to drive the car home????????????????? Please.... will somebody do something about this guy! Is their any type of legal action these poor deputies can take against this guy without getting fired? I may be wrong but how can an employer take any type of $$$$ out of someone's paycheck without prior approval from the employee? If I was a deputy, and I'm having to pay money for fuel to patrol the streets....Then I would use the car to go buy groceries, get a haircut, Dr. Appt's , etc...

I totally agree with you

 

[sunspotbaby]

Easy solution:

Don't give Ralph another paycheck . Slam the door behind him now, why wait until Nov. ! :angry:

He makes me ill.

 

[grumpyfish]

Be careful what you wish for. I've heard "internal" rumors that Adkinson plans to bring back some of the "good ole boys" from the network of which he is in knee deep. We should have just elected Tom Cooper.

 

[br549]

Oh Boy!!!! Here we go again, I knew it wouldnt last.

Lets turn another one of Ralphs blunders into a "bash another candidate".

Please Grumpyfish, enlighten us on this rumored "good ole boy system"
From the looks of how Defuniak PD is running there doesnt seem to be an "good ole boy" system in play. What is to make us think that its coming back.

 

[WCcitizens]

Whatever...

Grumpyfish........Please enough with the candidate bashing:angry:. Your boy lost, so just suck it up and deal with it. Besides we are talking about the cooking sheriff charging the deputies for their using their car to protect and serve. So go back to watching Oprah and Dr. Phil.