Things have changed a bit in Benton County.
It probably took less debate in the 1990s for then-sheriff Andy Lee to acquire helicopters than it did in 2012 for departing Sheriff Keith Ferguson to buy a pickup.
The current sheriff went under the microscope of Benton County justices of the peace recently after his oftce sent an invoice for a new truck to the county’s comptroller. For those unfamiliar with the workings of county government accounting - and who really wants to be that familiar with it - that’s not the way it’s supposed to be done in Benton County. First, county oftcials are supposed to file a purchase order before spending the money. The sheriff ’s oftce’s new truck had already been driven off the lot when the county got the bill., to county oft cials, was purchased so that Sheriff -elect Kelley Cradduck could have a vehicle to drive as he prepares to take over the county’s chief law
The purchase made headlines after considerable discussion among the members of the Quorum Court. Any purchase costing more than $5,000 is considered a capital item and requires prior approval of the Quorum Court. The 2007 Chevrolet Silverado cost $19,871.
Our take on the entire matter is pretty simple: It’s been blown out of proportion, but is a clear indication that elected justices of the peace are trying to take their responsibilities seriously.
Tight budgets promote a bit more scrutiny.
In times past, a purchase like this likely might have passed unnoticed or would have elicited no particular comment. But more recently, quorum courts in Benton and Washington counties have exercised their authority over the purse strings with a new vigor. It’s probably a little irritating to full-time county leaders who have had more wiggle room in the past, but we think it’s good government to have a strong checks and balances approach between the legislative and executive branches.
No full-time public oft cial should develop such a sense of entitlement that he shrugs off the protocols established by the budget-setters. We’ve believe it’s a healthy process when the Quorum Court pays close attention to how money is being spent and when any department fails to follow the procedures that apply to all departments.
That said, it’s likely the Quorum Court would have gone along with the truck purchase. Several justices of the peace said as much. They just felt protocol needed to be followed.
“We don’t want to set a precedent that you can buy anything you want,” Justice Dan Douglas said.
“They need to come to the Quorum Court.”
We agree. Had Ferguson advanced the notion of buying the truck to the Quorum Court fi rst, there might have been some ideas fl oated about using existing county resources rather than spending nearly $20,000 on a truck. Maybe, but the process wasn’t given a chance to function.
This isn’t one of those long-lasting controversies, but should serve as a reminder to public oft cials that the processes established for spending public tax dollars exist for legitimate reasons. A little transparency in the process helps to build public confidence in the people they elect. Getting the approvals of the Quorum Court is a key part of that transparency.
Opinion, Pages 5 on 12/29/2012