March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Sheriff’s request for new cruisers rejected> Hancock County commissioners stand behind budgeting plan to acquire new cars

ELLSWORTH — Hancock County commissioners rejected the county sheriff’s plan to buy cruisers in a 2-1 vote Monday after municipal officials contended the proposal contradicted a policy they and other members of the county’s budget advisory committee recommended.

Earlier this month, Hancock County Sheriff Bill Clark submitted to the commissioners a plan to buy outright this coming year two rear-wheel-drive Ford cruisers and to acquire a third Ford through a lease-purchase agreement.

Aurora Selectman Peter Larson and Franklin Selectman Bruce Carter objected to the sheriff’s plan. They said it violated a policy that allows the county to budget for 2 1/2 cruisers in 1997. They said part of those funds — equal to half a cruiser — is supposed to be set aside to purchase a cruiser in 1998.

“It’s an acceptable practice to put money away,” Carter said, noting towns do it all the time for construction of salt storage sheds and other projects.

Clark disagreed. He said the policy’s intent was to limit the Sheriff’s Department to five new cruisers in a two-year period — not dictate when the vehicles were purchased within that period. He submitted letters from other Hancock County Budget Committee members, Joel Wardwell, Lee Worcester, Bing Gross and Sen. Jill Goldthwait, I-Bar Harbor, endorsing his plan.

“I challenge the notion that they intended that money to be held,” the sheriff said.

Clark said budgeting 2 1/2 new vehicles per year was already inadequate for his department’s needs and rejection of his proposal could further jeopardize his fleet.

Rereading the policy, Hancock County Commissioners Walter Bunker and Vern Crockett concurred with Larson and Carter’s interpretation. They said it clearly limited the sheriff’s department to the purchase of two new cruisers in 1997 and three more in 1998. They voted against the sheriff’s proposal.

Chairman Dennis Damon of the Hancock County commissioners acknowledged the policy limits of the county to funding 2 1/2 new cruisers a year. But he said the budget advisory committee’s intent was not to “micromanage” the sheriff and other department heads.

“I think it is imperative that department heads maintain their equipment as they see fit,” Damon declared.


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