Sheriff's "big bully" budgeting
There's nothing wrong with a county department head -- in this case Fresno County Sheriff Richard Pierce -- passionately arguing for money during budget hearings before the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. The problem with the way this process has been working over the past few year is that Pierce refuses to share the inner workings of his budget with the supervisors who fund him, and then suggests that they are soft on crime if they dare question his budget.
That unhealthy dynamic must change when the new sheriff's administration takes over in January. Either Cal Minor or Margaret Mims, the runoff candidates in the November sheriff's election, should pledge to keep the board and the county administrative office in the loop on the budget.
On Wednesday, Pierce and Supervisors Susan Anderson and Bob Waterston got in a heated exchange over the sheriff's budget. Waterston even called Pierce a "big bully" over the way he has conducted himself in budget hearings. Pierce also didn't distinguish himself when he told Anderson, one of the most respected supervisors, "I resent your implication that someone is deliberately budgeting wrong. I have managed budgets far longer than you have ever been a supervisor or a department head." Here's Bee reporter Kerri Ginis' story in today's Bee on the issue.