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Highlands Today

Sheriff's Candidates Spar Over Building, Evidence

Jasmina MeyerHighlands Today

From Left: Candidates Ron Grimming and Sheriff Susan Benton answer questions on Monday at the Highlands County Homeowners Association meeting in Sebring.

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By JIM KONKOLY

Highlands Today

Published: October 14, 2008

SEBRING - The opponents in the races for sheriff and clerk of courts did the most sparring Monday morning as all eight candidates running for the four countywide offices on the Nov. 4 ballot spoke at the Highlands County Homeowners Association.

Democrat incumbent Susan Benton, seeking re-election to a second four-year term as sheriff, and Republican challenger Ron Grimming, a former director of the Florida Highway Patrol and deputy director of the Illinois State Police, clashed over construction of a new sheriff's law enforcement building, proper storage of evidence collected and crime trends in the county.

In the clerk of courts race, Republican Bob Germaine and Democrat Mary Wilson had opposite views on how audits should be initiated and over Wilson's charges that Germaine would be "double dipping" if he was elected and collected a pension at the same time.

"I have to tell you, the building is absolutely necessary," Benton said about the county's plans to build an $11.2-million law enforcement building. She said the 1950s building has inadequate space for vital functions such as communications, crime labs and separation of public and secure areas.

Benton said the decision to build is up to the county commissioners, and county officials say that now is the best time to get the best prices on construction. She also said the facility would be financed by a portion of the county's 1-cent sales tax, which can only be spent on capital improvements.

"It is not essential, it is not critical, it is not going to make our county safer," Grimming said about the new facility.

With people struggling in the poor economy, he said, now is not the time to go ahead with a new sheriff's building.

"It is way over built, it is way too costly, and we need to look at alternatives to that building," he said. "I think that in our current economic times . . . it is the wrong time to be building and investing that kind of money in a building that will not improve safety on our streets."

Grimming said he would "provide effective leadership" to initiate programs guaranteeing that no evidence collected would ever be lost.

Benton said an examination of evidence held at the sheriff's office showed that about 99.7 percent of 38,000 pieces of evidence has been held securely, and that missing items have not affected pending criminal cases.

Grimming said burglaries, robberies and homicides are going up and the sheriff for the next four years will have to address "a burgeoning gang crime problem in our county."

About crime going up, Benton said, "That is not just Highlands County. That is statewide, that has been nationwide."

What's most important, Benton said, is that the sheriff's office has had "a 73 percent increase in arrests for violent crimes."

Grimming said he opposes a reported plan to spend $64 million, financed over 20 years, to expand the county jail. He said he would seek "work camps, barracks style" for misdemeanor offenders as a cheaper alternative to expanding the jail.

Benton said there are currently no plans to expand the jail, and that Grimming was referring to a consultant's report that is not in the county's plans.

In the clerk of courts race, Germaine said he believes the race comes down to a choice between his 37 years of experience versus Wilson having more education, with a master's degree compared to his associate's degree.

Germaine, director of court services in the clerk's office, said he supervises 42 employees, while Wilson, director of compliance and internal audits, supervises one. Management experience is vital, he said, because the winner of the election will supervise 82 people.

If elected, Germaine said he would be a "working clerk," eliminate his current job, and serve as both clerk of courts and the director of court services.

Wilson noted that she is a certified fraud examiner and law enforcement officer, and said she would make the clerk of courts office more efficient, saving taxpayer dollars.

Wilson said Germaine would change the way that audits are scheduled, while she would stick with the "risk analysis" system recommended by the Institute of Internal Auditors. That system, she said, places the highest priority on auditing for programs where the most money is being spent.

"Do we need audits?" Wilson asked rhetorically. "Absolutely. This is the way we ensure accountability in our government. My opponent wants to change the way that works."

Germaine said he would have a five-member committee, composed of four county officials and one outside certified public accountant, to determine what audits are made.

"I want to take politics out of the audits," Germaine said. He said he doesn't want just one person deciding which audits are made.

Wilson said Germaine would be "double dipping" because he is retiring and plans to collect his pension while, if elected, also earning the $110,000 salary as clerk of courts.

Germaine said he would not be "double dipping," which he said is when a public employee retires, collects his pension, and then is appointed or hired back full-time to his old job or a new job in government. Germaine said he will get his pension whether or not he is elected clerk of court and so that should not be an issue as he runs for public office.

"He deserves his pension, he has done a good job," Wilson said. But, she said, if Germaine wins the race, he can and should decide not to collect his pension until after his term or terms as clerk of courts.

In the race for county commissioner in District 3, Republican Jeff Carlson, a former Sebring city councilman, said he would work for less spending by county government, more local and regional cooperation to reduce government costs and better communication with the public.

Carlson said he would work for cooperation between the county and the municipalities and businesses so that "all growth is in a smart and in an efficient manner."

Democrat Jeri Canale, who was a county commissioner from 1994-98, said she would pursue "common sense government." Canale said property tax revenues have risen too sharply, and she would seek a roll back of millage to the level of 2004, when property taxes brought in about $116 million, compared to $167 million for this fiscal year.

Republic incumbent Guy Maxcy, running for a fifth consecutive four-year term as county commissioner in District 5, said he will work to launch public transportation, seek a larger property tax exemption for low-income senior homeowners, and try to initiate a "one-stop senior center," where seniors can get information on all services available to them.

Challenger Zane Thomas, running as an independent, said he would seek term limits, because people holding any public office for a long time can get "tunnel vision."

Promising lower county spending and better efficiency, Thomas said he would stress job creation. If the economy is based on building homes for senior citizens moving into the county, he said, "in tough times that just does not work."

"There is no reason Highlands County should not be the distribution hub for all of south Florida," Thomas said. He said the Sebring Airport Authority needs more support in recruiting business, and biofuels should be promoted to help local agriculture.

Jim Konkoly can be reached at 863-386-5855 or e-mail jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com

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