Budget Pledge

The budget of this department is at a dangerous record number; Over 4 Million dollars.

This departments budget just 10 years ago was 1.6 million. A simple comparison of budget, manpower, stats, and population (which is down) reveals startling indications of a “runaway train”. In a county that’s already considered to be the 2^nd highest taxed county in the state, this burden is intrusive and unjustifiable.

– My Pledge to the people is to reduce the Department Budget by 500,000 in 1 calendar year from taking office.

– I am the ONLY candidate inclined and prepared to do so, lowering your taxes, while increasing service.

Additionally, I will:

Create a Sheriff Advisory Committee

Develop bi-annual Community meeting with Sheriff and staff throughout the county’s geographical regions in an effort to promote transparency and partnerships with the residents of Sumner County.

STAFF

Re-align & Streamline manpower to increase the effective presence of deputies on the road and return to an acceptable number of “ranked” office positions for the size of our taxbase. These proposed changes alone will reduce the Salary and benefit costs by more than 10%. This is a 275,000 dollar reduction.

VEHICLE FLEET

The Sheriff’s Department currently inventories a record number of vehicles ranging from 55 to 60 at any given time. A large portion of these being 1 of the most expensive units available to Law enforcement- the Chevy tahoe. The price tag for each of these vehicles fully equipped is nearly 50k/piece. The total number of vehicles could immediately be reduced by 30%. There is simply no “need” for that many vehicles under any circumstance for this department. Again, a simple comparison of just 10 years ago this department had 24 total cars, and that was considered to be abundant by that Sheriff. With none of these vehicles being under any lease obligation and all “paid for” directly from the budget, this provides an immediate estimated reduction of 150,000 dollars. With much more to gain as inventory is restructured.

With consideration to our “needs” and other avenues many other Sheriffs utilize that are available to us through the Highway patrol and other channels, these purchases could have been made much differently and at a fraction of the brand new 50k/price.

After the reduction & re-structure of vehicle fleet; Deputies would be issued newer vehicles, and myself and command staff who are not in a vehicle 8 hrs/day would be issued older vehicles.

More Sheriff vehicles to be Marked units- This is an easy way to increase public awareness.

RE-IMPLEMENT & REBUILD RESERVE PROGRAM

The Reserve Program is and has always been a Trademark to Sheriffs Departments across the country. The First Sumner County Sheriff Reserve Program was organized in 1971 by Sheriff John Patterson.   

This group of dedicated and loyal members provided assistance in any capacity throughout the county and were an integral part of daily operations. The program grew throughout the years under the leadership of many Sheriffs. The highest number reaching 21 members under my father Sheriff Kenny Boyd. This was something my father was very grateful for. In his words from a press release on March 30^th, 2000

“I am very thankful for each and every Reserve Officer, for their inspired determination to serve their community and to improve the quality of life in a combined effort to reduce crime and its effects on all our lives in Sumner County”

This Program now, much like the K-9 and D.A.R.E Program has been ultimately dissolved under the current administration. Serious losses for Sumner County.

When I started with the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department in 2010, our Reserve Program held an average of 8 to 10 deputies serving an average of 16 to 24 hours a month (16 being the min.) This computes to an average of 150 to 200 extra manhours a month of additional service helping to reduce response times and increase visibility at little to no-cost to the taxpayer.

In 2019 The Sheriffs Department paid out close to 75,000 dollars in Overtime. With a sound and progressing Reserve Program this cost would have been nearly eliminated. This is conservatively a 50,000 dollar deduction.

Confidence in my ability to rebuild this program comes from communication with other Sheriff’s locally, and the amount of interest from volunteers I have been shown since my announcement to run for this office.

PHONE / COMPUTER SYSTEM

Phone and Computers is another area where costs can certainly be reduced. Full-time deputies are all issued laptop computers with full mobile access. This enables a deputy to essentially do 90% of reports and case work anywhere, anytime. The desktop models never were reduced upon this expensive expansion.  There are licensing fees and costs per user, and per computer along with continual maintenance so this is a significant cost annually. There are over 40 total computers now to be licensed and maintained. Considering all deputies, proposed administration, and 5 additional at the office for auxiliary this number could come down to 30, a 25% reduction.  15,000 dollar estimated annual reduction.

Deputies are also all issued smartphones which currently carry data, which on the number of phones distributed costs the county currently around 30,000 dollars annually. We could remove the data on these phones since they already all have issued laptops with data available and go to a military grade option phone with voice and text and cut this annual cost close to half. This is a 10,000-dollar reduction.

RESIDENCY POLICY / COMMUTING / VEHICLE COSTS

This is an especially difficult area to swallow. For the first time in history, the Undersheriff, along with over half of the patrol force are not Sumner County residents.

This is Jobs, opportunity, and revenue being taken from our County.

The policy currently being allowed is that anyone who drives an “unmarked” vehicle that lives out of the county can drive it home. (This current number is 6 happening daily). It can only be estimated how much this has cost the taxpayers of Sumner County. Figured at the US postal service rate of 57.5 cents/mile X the estimated miles each of the vehicles travel outside their jurisdiction daily X the years this has been allowed to happen. Totals a number reaching over 120,000 dollars. = 15,000 dollars/year.

I will immediately re-instate the Residency Policy (requiring employees to live within the county to be eligible for employment) upon taking office which will stop this bleeding.

Like this County always has… We have a considerable number of great, highly qualified and trained employees living right here in Sumner County who, because of Leadership have chose to seek out other employment elsewhere. A lot of those raising families here, and all of them doing commerce and paying taxes here, which I consider to be a vested interested in their community and very important. They would love a change in leadership and the opportunity to come back.

Instead of just “telling” the folks what I am going to do. I chose to put some shoe leather and hours into this website to explain… because the people deserve that, and as a taxpayer myself I would like to be “shown” how these corrections are going to take place instead of just being told. I cant do anything about retrieving the hundreds of thousands of lost taxpayer dollars and wasteful spending of the past but I can certainly hope everyone can get excited about the future and what it holds.