York County government is facing a serious crisis, which means that those who rely on services from Alfred ”“ and all of us do, to some extent ”“ will eventually be affected.
Many are not aware of how county government serves them, so the impact may take awhile to sink in. Law enforcement work by the Sheriff’s Department has already been curtailed, and processing of property deeds and court orders will be slowed.
One bright spot: Those taken into custody for a misdemeanor or felony won’t feel the county’s financial pinch ”“ the York County Jail is exempt from the crisis.
The jail earns a surplus by confining prisoners from other jurisdictions. This profit is a major cause of the county’s problems because a change in state law now requires a strict accounting for jail revenue. On Sept. 12, this revenue was abruptly put off limits for the rest of county government.
At once, county government laid off 24 deputies, clerks and other county employees. It is true that the crisis was forecast months ahead of time, but there was no way to prepare for such a major adjustment. It is expected that the loss of staff will “devastate public safety in York County and put people at risk.”
That is the assessment of District Attorney Mark Lawrence, who is in a good position to judge what is needed to protect citizens and prosecute wrongdoers. His office, which over the last eight months lost eight clerks from a staff of 21, annually processes 14,000 criminal complaints.
The district attorney’s dismay is shared by Sheriff Maurice Ouellette, who lost seven deputies and one clerk. “It’s irresponsible,” he said.
To their credit, Ouellette and State Police officials have already devised a plan to preserve basic police protection for the 14 rural communities that have relied on coverage by the Sheriff’s Department. Cities and towns with their own police departments will help out in emergencies.
Perhaps from Augusta or Portland, this looks like a good way of saving taxpayers’ money and eliminating overlapping services. But creating a crisis is the worst possible approach to regionalization. Police agencies will do the best they can to maintain public safety in the towns that have relied on deputies, but reducing the already sparse police coverage makes it more likely that in a true emergency, help won’t get there in time.
The county cut vital jobs in other departments as well. The staff at the Registry of Deeds was slashed from 13 to six. A title abstractor told the county commissioners on Wednesday that the layoffs “have put the sanctity of records in great peril.”
It’s a warning worth considering. The registry’s meticulous files are essential to every property title, and its clerical work is part of every real estate transaction.
It will take time, but many may come to realize that such a sharp cutback of county services is unsustainable.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
