The Florida Times-Union
August 23, 2007Camden restricts sheriff's use of county car to business travel
By Paul Pinkham, The Times-Union
KINGSLAND - Camden County commissioners stripped Sheriff Bill Smith of the unlimited use of his county car and gas card Tuesday night after receipts showed he billed taxpayers for numerous personal trips out of state. -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Under a resolution passed 3-2, Smith can still use the car and credit card for county business but not personal use.
"I just want to put some reason back in this. It's been abused," Commissioner Steve Berry said in moving to rescind a 1995 resolution that gave Smith unlimited use of the car as his personal vehicle.
Berry said if the sheriff doesn't comply, he will seek to have him charged with theft.
In a letter to the commissioners, Smith said he has saved the county about $180,000 the past 12 years by purchasing the car with seized drug money rather than having taxpayers buy it. That was part of the deal in 1995, he said.
"It would appear to be a no-brainer that it is much cheaper to use the drug dealer's ill-gotten gain rather than putting the burden on the taxpayer," Smith wrote. "Nevertheless, upon delivery of a vehicle to me from the board of commissioners, I will consider this agreement null and void."
Commissioner Charlene Sears, the sheriff's community relations director, argued Smith needs the vehicle even when on personal business because he's always on call and might have to drive back to Camden County in an emergency.
The Times-Union reported Aug. 5 that Camden taxpayers paid more than $3,000 for out-of-town gas purchases on Smith's credit card from July 1, 2006, through May 1.
The trips included almost weekly visits to Charleston, S.C., where his family lives, and a drive to Atlantic City, N.J., in January.
The Sheriff's Office exceeded its budget by more than $1 million during the same period.
The newspaper's report was based on a review of gas credit card receipts obtained under Georgia's Open Records Act. At the time, Sears and another department spokesman cited the 1995 resolution allowing Smith to use the county car "24 hours a day, seven days a week."
But Berry said he doubted the old resolution was meant to include numerous personal trips and nowhere does it mention gas purchases. He called the sheriff's letter nonresponsive.
"He's paid $93,000 a year. He can have his own car for his own business," Berry said. "He certainly should not use our gasoline. ... Common sense would tell you we don't do that, but common sense isn't working here."
Berry also criticized Smith's use of the car to drive to Nicholls to return convicted methamphetamine manufacturer William Murrell to Camden County after his release from prison last month. Sears replied that Murrell was needed in Camden County because he is working on a case.
Commissioner David Rainer, who voted with Sears against Tuesday's resolution, suggested commissioners wait to make sure they are following the law before limiting Smith's use of the car.
"We don't have to do it on a whim," Rainer said.
County Attorney Brent Green said he hasn't researched the law on how the sheriff can use the car.
In recent weeks, Smith has ignored commissioners' mandates on his budget and confiscated drug money. Berry said he would consider it theft if the sheriff ignores Tuesday's car and gas card resolution.
"He's no different than anybody else," Berry said. "Our policies are meant to be followed, not ignored."
Times-Union writer Gordon Jackson contributed to this report.
paul.pinkham@jacksonville.com
(904) 359-4107
This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/082307/geo_193782569.shtml.
TRSP Review: Is Murrell now being paid by the taxpayers. He is working on a case?
It really does pay to deal drugs in Camden County!!
Does the Sheriff want a new car now? By what he said it sure does sound like he is not going to use the one he drives now that was paid for with drug money.
"The people of this County do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created." ***The views expressed on this blog are the opinions of the individual that wrote them.
7 comments:
Well sounds like to me that Big Willie is headed to the big house. There is no way that the GBI or FBI could do an investigation of this guys expenditures and he not be placed in a jail cell.
Where is the District Attorney? Should he have some input on all that is going on?
I think Steve Berry needs protection!! Desperate people do desperate things. Right now Big Willie is desperate. He has been calling people of the black community (Barbara Rudolph) asking for prayer. He said that he cannot take much more of this!
Maybe someone should check out David Rainer. What does Sheriff Smith have on him that makes him want to sweep all of this illegal activity under the carpet. Maybe he has done some illegal things with all of the schools that he has built in the County. Or maybe he has done something illegal with all the developers. What is it?
From Compassion:
I agree, something is fishy about David Rainer!!! What does Sheriff Smith have on him that makes him want to go along with all of this illegal stuff? Why would you agree to suspend "with pay" someone that you know use the county credit card. You know already that she made two illegal purchases. This makes absolutely no sense at all!!
Rick,
You need to dig into the elected history of David Rainer. Sheriff Smith knows what he did and the taxpayers should be made aware also.
If he wants to buy a car, then let him sell that new fishing boat.
I don't think Big Willie is headed anywhere except maybe to order more cots for the Bord of Comm. to sleep on, back in the rear of the jail thats overcrowded (law suit). I find it very funny that Mr. Berry keeps making all kinds of motions in these meetings for the followers to vote with him on. My question is, why do we have on the payroll a County Attorney that sits as a knot on a log, and chooses not to advise the Board on the outlandish legal, decisions which is adding fuel to the huge bomb the Sheriff will end up dropping in their laps in the form of a Law Suit. Forest says Stupid is, as Stupid does. Every trip to the Comm. meetings just get more and more hilarious. Our Community is becoming the laughing stock of the south.
Mr. Murrell was in the county jail for 2 years or so when the paperwork to send him off to prison was not completed and returned by the Sheriff.
During that time, Mr. Murrell was seen all over the county (and photographed) at weddings, 4th of July in St. Marys, etc. taking care of Blake Smith.
Then a GTU report shines the light on his not being in prison and he "then" is sent off. He
is paroled some 8 months later and Smith, in his county car, picks him up at the prison and brings him back to Camden County.
Now Comm. Sears states that Mr. Murrell is "working on a case" .
I think that she or Smith should hold a press conference and fully inform the public exactly what "case" Mr. Murrell is working on.
The only possibility that comes to mind is a case of beer out at the Ponderosa.
Speaking of Chucky, I caught a few minutes of her rehab tour on Simper Fido's $5,400 per year propaganda show on TV Camden just the other night.
She was flacking for some sort of drivers ed program for 16 year olds at CCHS. I take it she shows up and presents a DVD, or something.
The idea is to showcae not only BTW's vote-winning beneficence, but that she really does need that car for her $40,000 + sinecure of a job.
By the way, has TV Camden gone to hell in a handbasket here lately, or what?
Jay Moreno
"Right now Big Willie is desperate. He has been calling people of the black community (Barbara Rudolph) asking for prayer. He said that he cannot take much more of this!"
BTW as Jimmy Swaggert!
Now that, I would tune in Simper Fido's propaganda show to see!
Jay Moreno
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