Sun Journal Letter to the Editor: Fiscal Oversight, by CCTA Past Chairman, Raynor James

February 19, 2012

Scott Dacey’s letter (Sunday, Feb. 19) raising questions that he and other Board of Commissioner members have asked regarding the running of our Sheriff’s Department, and contrarian opinions expressed by Michael Waldman and Leland Grice drew my attention. Both Messrs. Waldman and Grice seem to think our Commissioners are out of line to question the operation of the Sheriff’s Department. That puzzles me.


Should our commissioners dole out our hard earned taxpayer money to buy cars, computers, salaries, any lawsuit awards that might be needed, and various other expenses requested by the sheriff without a clear understanding of how our money is being spent and why it is needed? As a taxpayer, I thank the Board of Commissioners for trying to see that the taxes I pay are not squandered. The more they do it, the better I shall like it.

Hiring practices and high accident rates can expose Craven County to an increased potential for lawsuits. Good driver training for deputies can make the difference between life and death for them and for our citizens. Shouldn’t we be sure we’re handling these things effectively? Why wouldn’t we expect accident reports to match post-accident investigations?

And isn’t it appropriate to ask where the $9,300 that’s missing from the prisoner’s commissary account is? Maybe, as Michael Waldman suggested, it’s explained away by a computer software glitch. Fine. If that’s the explanation, say so, correct the problem, and let’s move on.

Stonewalling and name-calling is childish behavior unbecoming to a trusted public servant. Answering the questions the commissioners have asked, or taking corrective action (if it is needed), and then answering the questions fully and cheerfully would be the response of a “big picture, devoted public servant” of the sort that Michael Waldman and Leland Grice seem to think our sheriff is. I hope they are right. I hope our sheriff is able to overcome his initial irritation, realize that he is not the only elected representative of the people who needs to make decisions involving taxpayers’ money spent by his department, and step forward to clearly demonstrate that his department is shipshape.

Raynor James, New Bern

Letter from Commissioner Dacey is below!

Letter:  Board vs. Sheriff
Houdini strikes again. If you watch very closely, you will see the age-old practice of misdirection and political sleight of hand is under way and our paper of record, the Sun Journal, has fallen for the trick once again. I am hopeful the citizens of Craven County will not be so naïve as to believe that partisanship, rather than a desire to protect our community, is our primary goal when members of the County Board make inquiries of the management practices of anyone working for the taxpayers of Craven County, including Sheriff Jerry Monette.


In the aftermath of the Feb. 6 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, the Sun Journal conducted an interview with Sheriff Monette in an effort to get his response to concerns Commissioner Jeff Taylor and I raised about the sheriff’s management practices, including the use of county property and failure to properly account for prisoner funds. Rather than demonstrate to the Sun Journal a revised vehicle use policy had been completed or that the missing funds from the commissary account had been identified, the sheriff chose to respond by saying he thinks politics motivated our discussion at the meeting. Classic misdirection.

Last Sunday, the editor of the Sun Journal took the bait. Rather than press the sheriff for evidence that he or those within his department exercised any form of fiduciary oversight for the funds deposited into the accounts of those spending time in our jail, he chose to make this about partisan politics. After all, making sure that “we all just get along” is so much more important than making certain some of the hard questions are asked and that honest answers are forthcoming.

If the Sun Journal is truly concerned with providing a public service to this community, then start asking some tough questions – the questions both Republicans and Democrats serving on the county board are asking of our sheriff. Why have there been so few minority deputies on patrol throughout our county? Have the men and women serving as deputies been provided adequate driver training? When sheriff’s staff is involved in auto collisions, why don’t accident reports conform to post-accident investigations? Why did the sheriff fail to reconcile the prisoner’s commissary account on a regular basis and where is the missing $9,300?

I am certain there are answers for each of these questions, but none of those answers should be based upon whether it is a Republican or a Democrat asking the questions. The important thing is that the questions get asked and answered. Those of us serving on the County Board remain committed to doing just that.

Scott Dacey, Craven County commissioner, Trent Woods

http://www.newbernsj.com/articles/strikes-104474-board-houdini.html