Earlier this summer, the Post asked our readers what issues you wanted to hear candidates in contested races address leading up to the Nov. 5. election.
Based on that feedback, we developed a five-item questionnaire centering the issues most important to residents across Johnson County.
Each day this week, we’ll publish the candidates’ responses to one question.
Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
One reader writes, “Being a good steward of taxpayer money is very important. According to public records, the budget for the sheriff’s office since 2017 (when current Sheriff Calvin Hayden took over) has increased by approximately $45 million.” If elected, do you anticipate maintaining that level of spending? What will you do to ensure residents that you are running the sheriff’s office in the most efficient manner possible, while still being effective in carrying out day-to-day operations?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on the issue:
Doug Bedford (Republican)
Regarding the budget, I am a strong proponent of being a good steward of tax-payer money. My goal regarding the budget, which was the plan when I was appointed the position of Undersheriff in 2017, is to end the year at or under budget on a yearly basis. I believe this goal can be accomplished by the proper management of personnel at the Sheriff’s Office to ensure staff are working in the best position to minimize overtime at the agency. As Sheriff I will have a staffing analysis conducted to ensure proper efficiencies are implemented at the
agency.
Another potential cost-savings plan will be to conduct a review of all non-statutory functions at the Sheriff’s Office to see if what is currently implemented is necessary, making sure the taxpayer funds from the citizens of Johnson County is being spent in an efficient manner.
In my previous role as Undersheriff, I was instrumental in working with the Fiscal Division to create the budget for the Sheriff’s Office. Being familiar with working with a budget of this size will be a great asset to theposition of Sheriff.
Byron Roberson (Democratic)
The increasing level of spending began when my opponent was second-in-command to outgoing Sheriff Calvin Hayden and I do not believe that is a sustainable trajectory for the budget. To correct the issue, we can’t elect the leadership that helped create the problem. As chief of police, I have years of experience in creating and managing a cost efficient and
transparent budget for my department.
One way to alleviate pressure on the budget is through Medicaid expansion. Expanding Medicaid would help pay for the mental health care costs of inmates in our jails, which is a very large expense. Medicaid expansion would also provide the county with more resources to help vulnerable populations before they come in contact with the criminal justice system. I am proud to be endorsed by Governor Kelly’s Middle of the Road PAC and will work with the Governor to advocate for Medicaid expansion.
Our jails are one of the largest items in the sheriff’s budget. That’s why I believe in reducing recidivism and incarceration where we can. Providing educational opportunities, and counseling for inmates equips them with skills needed for a successful reentry into society and decreases the likelihood of reoffending. As sheriff, I will connect people in crisis, such as those struggling with mental health or addiction, with vital resources before they enter the criminal justice system. This approach saves taxpayer money by keeping people out of jail and allows law enforcement to focus its resources on more serious criminal activity.
I have been directly involved in creating and managing the Prairie Village Police Department’s budget for years. We start our budget process by comparing the current year to the previous five years to extrapolate large swings up or down in expenditures. More often than not, these fluctuations result from personnel costs that were adjusted after salary studies. Other commodities are easier to plan for as they are part of the strategic plan of the police department. For instance, radio equipment is an expensive but essential item and must be replaced when its service life is complete. So, I forecast the cost of replacing these items in the future and ongoing costs from one year to the next to avoid having an extreme impact on a single year’s budget. Personnel costs are more of a moving target when it comes to budgetary forecasting. I keep abreast of other departments’ personnel salaries, innovate to find new
benefits, and remain diligent in the oversight of overtime and unnecessary expenditures.
My overall strategic plan would be to examine what the immediate needs of the sheriff’s office are. I would then examine what capital improvement projects are planned and what infrastructure, such as servers or microwave transmitters, is nearing its end of life in order to plan for replacement. I will then work with the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners and the accounting department to develop a budget for the following years. I am confident that I can slow the rate of growth in the sheriff’s budget through strategic planning and careful oversight of spending.
Coming up:
Tomorrow we will publish the candidates’ responses to the following question:
Several readers noted that outgoing Sheriff Calvin Hayden frequently had combative relationships with other county officials, including some members of the county commission, elections officials and county staffers. Do you see this as a problem? If elected, are there steps you plan to take to improve these relationships and, if needed, regain the trust of residents?
