Carroll County MD Commissioners plan to put resident troopers back in budget

Commissioners plan to put resident troopers back in budget

Keeping nine troopers this year would result in $400,000 surplus

By Charles Schelle Posted 5/14/10

— Kevin Dayhoff contributed to this story

http://www.explorecarroll.com/news/4325/troopers/

A discussion this past week about deferring the transition of nine resident Maryland State Police troopers to Sheriff's Office deputies turned into a political debate between Commissioners Julia Gouge and Michael Zimmer.

"You're strongly in favor of the sheriff, but don't mess it up by putting in this other crap," Gouge said to Zimmer during a heated back-and-forth at the commissioners' May 11 meeting.

In total, the county currently contracts 45 resident troopers to help patrol the county, in addition to Sheriff's Office deputies.

A Zimmer-initiated proposal would have moved to transfer nine resident trooper positions into the Sheriff's Office to save $400,000 in fiscal 2012.

But Gouge and Commissioner Dean Minnich gave county staff direction to keep the nine resident troopers in this year's proposed county budget, based on an offer by state police to reduce its contract cost to the county -- an offer that would save $400,000 in the county's proposed fiscal 2011 budget.

Zimmer fought the move, wanting instead to begin this year the phase-out of the troopers and a gradual hiring of additional Sheriff's Office deputies to take their place.

Two work sessions on the issue, on May 11 and May 13, included heated exchanges between Gouge and Zimmer.

Read the entire article here: http://www.explorecarroll.com/news/4325/troopers/

Carroll County MD Commissioners plan to put resident troopers back in budget

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