Forsyth county's sheriff's race has been a blogger's dream, with charges of personal indiscretions and dirty tricks posted almost hourly.
But, above the mud, lie the real issues related to a department whose budget has nearly tripled over the past 10 years, now consuming nearly 41 percent of the county's operating expenses.
Republican incumbent Ted Paxton faces primary opposition from former deputy Duane Piper and County Coroner Lauren McDonald in the July 31 race.
The sheriff's office has a budget of $37.5 million and employs 370 people, 200 of them sworn deputies.
Paxton, who's running for his fourth term, says he's done a good job while being understaffed, and the money spent by his office is all accounted for during yearly audits. He says his opposition is dredging up non-issues — such as a January incident in which he was found unconscious, a state he blamed on a blood sugar imbalance and others blamed on intoxication — because his record as sheriff is above reproach.
Piper, a former deputy with the department, argues that the budget has grown nearly 300 percent since 2001, when Paxton first took office, while the county's population has grown by 78 percent. He says an annual audit is not sufficient to track that much money and accuses Paxton of obscure bookkeeping. If elected, he said he wants to release a running total of expenditures so residents can determine whether their money is being spent wisely during the course of the year.
"We've got to get this under control," he said at a recent debate.
Piper also questions the deployment of deputies and the amount of training they receive. He said deputies need to be more community-based, where they build relationships with neighborhoods and know how to spot crime.
McDonald, a local businessman who touts his experience as county coroner and 25 years of service as a volunteer/part-time firefighter, says a sheriff presiding over a multi-million-dollar budget must have business sense. He says law enforcement experience is less important than the ability to manage a workforce.
"This community needs a liaison between the customer and the deputies out there on the road," he said.
McDonald also questions the deployment of deputies, arguing that the sheriff's office needs a stronger tie to the school system.
Paxton says the county commission sets his budget and stresses that new accounting practices, instituted by the county, have made the budget swell. Unlike in past years, he says, the sheriff's office is now charged for health insurance, pension contributions, tech services and automotive work.
He adds that he would like to increase the number of deputies because he must provide security at three separate court facilities throughout Cumming.
"We are doing the best we can with what we've got," he said.
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