Facing a packed room of sometimes vocal opponents, the Emmet County Board of Supervisors Monday approved a budget that assumes one less deputy than there are currently.
The budget allows for funding for the sheriff and six deputies, down one from the current level of Sheriff Mike Martens and seven deputies. Former Sheriff Larry Lamack rejoined the department in the capacity of chief deputy as a temporary replacement until no later than June 30. It's after that point that the supervisors want to keep the department at Martens and six deputies.
"It's great that there's interest out there that you want to respond," said Randy Beaver, board chair, said to the packed room in opening the budget public hearing Monday.
Beaver explained that whenever there's an opening on the county payroll the board looks at where positions can be absorbed.
Sheriff Mike Martens noted letters of support from city councils in Gruver, Ringsted and Wallingford.
Martens said the Emmet County jail had about the same number of inmates as other area counties. He said he was also working on an attempted murder in Armstrong that had occurred Saturday night and that two weeks ago a man from Estherville had been stabbed in the throat in Terril. Martens also noted a number of recent burglaries.
"The answer is not to take 2,080 hours away from the people that are out there," Martens said.
Several people in the filled board room made comments such as "don't under any circumstances jeopardize our public safety" and "it looks to me like there's a portion of this county that will not be covered."
Lamack said as first responders that the sheriff's office is the backbone of county government.
"There's not going to be anybody out there" at some point, Lamack said. "We may have a serious tragedy. We've got crime here like anyplace else."
Ringsted-area farmer Jim Boyer asked Martens whether Emmet County had seen an increase in crime, and Martens said it had, particularly in thefts and burglaries. He attributed the increase to substance abuse, mental illness and the economic situation.
Boyer asked about apprehensions, and Martens said there had been a number of culprits apprehended. Martens also said visibility of deputies patrolling acted as a deterrent.
Boyer asked about Emmet County's law enforcement strength of 2.2 per 1,000 population. When Martens said the U.S. Department of Justice said the national average was 2.49, Boyer pointed out that Iowa averaged 1.8. "There are other counties in Iowa that are below that 2 percent and they don't have that big of a problem with crime," Boyer said.
Martens said Emmet County has aggressive law enforcement which was why there are currently nine persons incarcerated in jail.
Martens said the county could qualify to fund a deputy from a grant through the federal stimulus package.
A number of other persons offered concerns over the ability of the sheriff's department to provide adequate coverage with one less deputy.
Supervisor Ron Smith said he was going to retract a previous statement to Martens to work out a law enforcement agreement with the City of Armstrong.
Supervisor Alan Madden said he favored approving the budget as proposed, with one less deputy.
"We don't have a choice," Madden said. He said the county budget had to be submitted to the state by 5 p.m. Monday to be certified.
"We have never said we would not amend the budget," Madden said of the possibility of funding for the eighth deputy. Unfortunately, he said the cost of funding another deputy would be $80,000 to $90,000, not just the deputy's annual salary of $43,000.
Madden also spoke to the number of officers available to serve the county, noting that the average for Iowa was 1.8 per 1,000 population and 1.7 for Minnesota.
"I don't think we need to be 33 percent better than the State of Iowa here in Emmet county," Madden said. "We're not below average here."
Madden also spoke to the need to study unified law enforcement for Emmet County.
"We not only have the chance to look at that. We have the responsibility to do that," Madden said.
Supervisor Jim Jenson seconded Madden's motion. He also addressed an audience objection to the county giving a 3.5 percent wage increase but cutting a deputy.
"We worked very, very hard on this budget and we could make this budget work at 3.5," Jenson said. He agreed that the budget could be amended to fund another deputy. "We need to be open-minded from both ends," he said.
Supervisor Bev Juhl thanked those present for their comments and repeated that from the beginning she did not favor cutting a deputy at this time.
Juhl said she did favor working on combined law enforcement.
"I think we need to talk about it," Juhl said. "I'm certainly open to amending the budget in the future. It has to be passed today."
"We're all here because we care about Emmet County," said Beaver. "I've been broken into. I've been shot up," he said, acknowledging the help he had received from the sheriff's office.
Beaver said he was willing to pursue the grant for an additional deputy.
Smith offered some optimism, noting that both the county mental health and secondary roads department had received stimulus money.
The board unanimously approved the budget as presented.
