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| Bristol County sheriff running out of money |
| By South CoastToday.com |
| Published: 03/05/2009 |
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By Brian Fraga bfraga@s-t.com March 05 Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson says he will run out of money next month to operate his department unless the state sends him additional funds. Hodgson estimates his fiscal 2009 budget — which is supposed to cover operating expenses through June 30 — will be depleted by April 16. The county treasurer confirmed the Sheriff's Department will be broke by late April. "He's going to run out. There is no doubt about it," said Bristol County Treasurer Kevin J. Finnerty. "We're keeping our fingers crossed and hoping we can get him through the end of April." Hodgson and Finnerty attribute the situation to inadequate state funding. The Sheriff's Department received $30.12 million in state money this fiscal year, according to the state Executive Office for Administration and Finance. Hodgson said that is not enough to operate his department, which he said has a $41.34 million operating budget for fiscal 2009, more than $5 million less than the previous fiscal year. "We're at a very critical crossroads right now and we don't have a lot to deal with," said Hodgson, adding that he does not expect to receive any supplemental funding from the state. "We'll have to find a way to staff our facility. I'm not releasing the inmates," he said. Hodgson accused Gov. Deval Patrick's administration of intentionally underfunding the county sheriffs to gain leverage in the governor's efforts to move the local sheriffs under state control. There is a bill pending in the Legislature that would absorb the seven county sheriffs under the state umbrella for budgeting and finance. The governor argues the arrangement would lower costs. Hodgson and the other county sheriffs have expressed misgivings. "This was something orchestrated and intentionally done for purposes of advancing the governor's agenda to push forward this bill," said Hodgson, also noting that state sheriffs receive more funding than county sheriffs. "With the state sheriffs, you're giving them $100, and then you're giving us $10," he said. A spokeswoman for the governor referred questions to Cyndi Roy, spokeswoman for the Office for Administration and Finance. Roy said her office has begun a wide-ranging mid-fiscal year review. "We know there will be deficiencies in many accounts," Roy said. "It will require coming up with further budget solutions. We will have a better idea at the end of this month for how much a budget gap we have." Roy said it was premature to say whether any agencies will receive supplemental funds. Steve Kenneway, president of the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union, said Hodgson is calling out the administration because he wants to remain a county sheriff. "I strongly suspect this is about him resisting going under the umbrella of the state," said Kenneway, who recently expressed concerns to Hodgson over the level of security personnel at the Dartmouth House of Corrections. "The people caught in the middle are the people of Bristol County, and that's unacceptable." Year-end budget deficiencies are an annual occurrence for the county sheriffs, even during good economic times. The governor's office says that is because the county sheriffs rely on deeds excise taxes for a portion of their funding. With the housing market's volatility, deeds excise tax receipts fluctuate monthly, making them an unstable source of revenue. However, Hodgson says it is an annual exercise that the Office for Administration and Finance underfunds him at the start of each fiscal year, only to begrudgingly give him supplemental funds following several trips to Boston. "It's been a dysfunctional method of funding us for years," he said. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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