Curry County commissioners expressed their frustration at Sheriff John Ward’s absence at this week’s board meeting, even though the agenda included a discussion of a tax to fund Ward’s financially-strapped department.
Rather than the sheriff presenting details of the levy, citizen organizer and local murder-mystery writer Georgia Cockerham gave a presentation on the measure. That five-year tax would charge $1.12 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
“Whether you vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on Measure 8-117, comes down to one of two choices: either you do not want law enforcement in Curry County, or you do and you are willing to pay for it,” Cockerham said.
She said the tax would fund five patrol deputies, a sergeant and two dispatchers. The sheriff’s office is currently down to three patrol officers and has restricted the kinds of calls officers will answer due to a lack of funding.
“The levy will also provide enough funding for the sheriff’s office to be financially independent from the county on those expenses that are not fully supported by other revenue streams,” Cockerham said.
Although commissioners voted to put the levy on the May 20 ballot, they made clear that more funding wouldn’t fix a soured relationship between the county and the sheriff’s office.
Commissioner Brad Alcorn, who is resigning this month, voiced his concern that the board was unaware of operations at the sheriff’s office.
“What are they actually doing? Does anyone know? Does anyone know what our crime rate is? Does anyone know how many calls for service are going unanswered? Does anyone know what happens to those calls for service?” Alcorn said.
Commissioners claim Ward has refused to attend board meetings and hasn’t provided information about his department to the county, such as property and financial documents. They also say the sheriff won’t hand over keys to county vehicles in his department’s possession. Commissioners sued the sheriff earlier this year seeking a court order for the sheriff to comply with their requests.
Sheriff Ward didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. In September, Ward filed an Oregon State Bar complaint against county attorney Ted Fitzgerald.
The board said the sheriff’s department has 42 vehicles, which they clarified are county property, and that commissioners have photographic evidence that some of those vehicles are parked at deputies’ homes.
“I 100% support funding for law enforcement,” Alcorn said. “But I do not support the cumulative mismanagement, lack of oversight and failure to supervise by our sheriff.”
Commissioners also revealed they have evidence of the sheriff’s office potentially submitting fraudulent boat inspection data to the Oregon State Marine Board. That information was forwarded to Oregon’s Department of Justice, according to a commissioner.
