County commissioners voted Monday morning to hire a familiar face in law enforcement as a sheriff’s deputy. Sergeant Brad Totten was scheduled to return to his duties in the sheriff’s office Tuesday.

But Sheriff Robert Alkire said that won’t stop him from filing a writ of mandamus to compel the county commission to reinstate his budget as originally presented.

Alkire says the commission deducted more than $70,000 from his 2008-09 budget. The amount included money slotted for personal services—$37,125—and the department’s annual vehicle purchase.

Commissioners said they would reimburse the personnel line item when he had someone to hire.
And they did.

Totten will be hired at $22,500 annually and will have his benefits and vacation restored to the level they were when he left the department last July.

His gross salary, plus the additions of employer’s match for Social Security, Medicare and retirement brings the total to $26,583.75. In addition, the county covers the cost of all employees’ health insurance; however, the amount of Totten’s premium is not included in the total.

The difference is $10541.25. Alkire said that $100 monthly raises given by the commission to the deputies who complete training at the West Virginia State Police Academy would flesh out his law enforcement salary budget to nearly what he originally asked for.

“I’m asking for the same budget I had last year,” the sheriff said.

Commissioners also told Alkire to shop around for a replacement vehicle and come back to them with a price by July 1. But the sheriff countered that he needs a vehicle now and said later that it takes up to four months for the vehicle to arrive once it’s ordered. In addition, the vehicle will have to be wired and equipped to sheriff’s department standards.

Alkire’s vehicle budget was reduced by $33,000.

Commissioner Reta Griffith said it’s the responsibility of the commission to set budgets.

The sheriff later agreed, but said he believes it’s the commission’s duty to give him an amount to budget, leaving the details to him.

“They don’t have a right to tell me how to run [my department],” Alkire said. “They’re micromanaging.”

The sheriff said Monday that the commission’s actions have become personal and, he said, the conflict has been going on for quite some time. Recently, he said, dispute between his department and the commission escalated when he refused to fire a deputy accused of a felony before the case was adjudicated.

Alkire said he feels commissioners are targeting him personally because they have disagreed publicly with decisions he’s made and even filed a suit of their own to have him removed from office, alleging he had not followed his own personnel policies and procedures when dealing with that deputy sheriff. Commissioners said Alkire was guilty of “neglect of duty.”

“It’s personnel decisions I’ve made,” Alkire said. “It’s damn sure not felonies I’ve committed.”

With Totten back in the ranks, Alkire said his overtime budget should be better in line. Commissioners have complained that the sheriff is overspending his $40,000 overtime budget and have sent him memos that point out how much he has left in that line item and telling him they would stop paying overtime.

“I am not over my budget in overtime,” the sheriff responded. “I repeat, I am not.”

The sheriff has taken money from other line items to cover that budget, and, he said, he does not have an overall budget deficit.

Two deputies in training will attend the State Police Academy in June, Alkire said. And while they will not have graduated by the time festival season rolls around, the sheriff said they would be on hand to help with traffic control.

Once they do graduate, Alkire’s force is back up to six full-time deputies, the number he began with seven years ago. The sheriff is in the last year of his second term.

While Alkire said he believes the commission is making the tit-for-tat in circuit court personal, Alkire said for him, it’s business.

“I don’t have any personal feelings for any of the county commission,” he said. “I want to set the record straight for the future [sheriff].”