A letter from Candidate for Umatilla County Sheriff Bob
Murstig...
To the Editor,
am responding to
the letter from the Umatilla County Jail Sergeants concerning their
opinion that the Umatilla County Jail cannot be
operated at full capacity with current funding. Also, to address
some of the stated reasons for your endorsement of the current Sheriff.
he Sergeants stated the Sheriff has asked the county for adequate
funding, but they have not been able to provide the funding needed.
A review of the Sheriff's 2003 budget year-end report revealed that
over $600,000 of allocated funds was not expended during the fiscal
year by the Sheriff. Some of that money might have been used to fund
additional staff for the Department.
he Sergeants stated that if the inmate population were doubled
it would easily cost over $1 million each year. I have reviewed the
detailed budget report for the Sheriff's Department and based on
the figures in that document, I don't find that to be the case. The
additional costs would not be nearly that much.
have talked with the administrator of a jail in Oregon that is
of similar type as our facility. He advised that his jail maximum
capacity is 212 inmates and they have fewer staff than our jail.
f elected as your
Sheriff, I will request the National Sheriff's Association to conduct
an internal audit of the entire Sheriff's
Department to determine if the Department is running as efficiently
and effectively as possible. An audit by outside professionals would
give an unbiased view of the agency and its operation.
our endorsement of
the current Sheriff stated that he has worked hard to repair divisions
in the department and to improve morale.
Has he succeeded? His employees were the first to approach me to
run for Sheriff because of their dissatisfaction with the Sheriff's
administration. The SEIU local 503, which represents the Sheriff's
Employee union, has chosen to endorse me for this election.
our article also
stated the Sheriff agrees that the department is under funded. What
has he done to improve that situation? Seven
years ago the City Police Chiefs in Umatilla County met with the
Sheriff and offered to help him get a levy passed to fully fund the
Department. In seven years he did nothing to move the process forward.
Only this year, an election year when he is being challenged, did
he finally decide to move forward.
am responding to
the letter from the Umatilla County Jail Sergeants concerning their
opinion that the Umatilla County Jail cannot be
operated at full capacity with current funding. Also, to address
some of the stated reasons for your endorsement of the current Sheriff.
he Sergeants stated the Sheriff has asked the county for adequate
funding, but they have not been able to provide the funding needed.
A review of the Sheriff's 2003 budget year-end report revealed that
over $600,000 of allocated funds was not expended during the fiscal
year by the Sheriff. Some of that money might have been used to fund
additional staff for the Department.
our endorsement of
the current Sheriff stated that he has worked hard to repair divisions
in the department and to improve morale.
Has he succeeded? His employees were the first to approach me to
run for Sheriff because of their dissatisfaction with the Sheriff's
administration. The SEIU local 503, which represents the Sheriff's
Employee union, has chosen to endorse me for this election.