CUMBERLAND — An agreement appears to have been reached that would ensure all nine deputies currently employed with the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office still hold those positions even after a Dec. 31 deadline of an existing court agreement.
Delegate LeRoy Myers told the Times-News on Monday the agreement would cover only nine deputies, not the 11 currently authorized.
Multiple sources have confirmed that Myers sent a text message to Deputy Andrew Mackert, president of Public Safety Local 1521, a week ago that said “‘made a deal with the CCs, 9 deputies guaranteed.’”
The substance of that text message was conveyed by Delegate Kevin Kelly, a staunch supporter of Sheriff David Goad and the deputies, late Sunday in an e-mail to Myers and more than 60 other people. Both Myers and Mackert declined to discuss the text message Monday.
“My concern, as union president, is that nobody loses their jobs and that the people that have the jobs have sufficient manpower to complete them,” Mackert said. “As far as manpower issues, that is an issue that the sheriff is working with the delegation and the county on.”
Goad had requested the legislative delegation’s help to update state law which, when created in the 1950s, mandated the county commissioners fund at least five deputies and one clerk. The demand on the office has grown exponentially, Goad argued.
The county currently funds nine deputies and two clerical positions at the Furnace Street facility. Up to 11 are currently authorized through Dec. 31 this year, when at least three of those positions could be eliminated.
In a conference call Feb. 11 with the commissioners, County Administrator David Eberly and all four members of the District 1 legislative delegation to Annapolis, the commissioners and Goad were encouraged to meet and work things out between themselves without the help of state lawmakers.
Sen. George Edwards said he felt the delegation was “drug into this” and said because of that, the delegation “asked (the commissioners) during their budget process for the coming year, that they highly consider the situation and look at the number of deputies … we have a concern, we don’t want to see anybody laid off.”
Edwards said the delegation is “not dictating anything” and reiterated his position the issue is largely a local one. He also said the process has been entirely transparent.
“Nothing screwy’s been done,” Edwards said. Delegation members have made suggestions “that will get both sides to think a little bit. I don’t get that involved with local stuff, but everybody needs to talk.”
On Monday, both Goad and Eberly denied knowledge of an agreement. Eberly said Goad is scheduled to meet with the commissioners Thursday during a public work session.
“I am not aware of any agreement with the commissioners and the sheriff,” Eberly said by e-mail.
Goad said, also by e-mail, that he was “at a loss on this issue to which I was not privileged to or have knowledge as to its actualization.”
“I have not received any communication of a probable agreement from the county as the issues were not set for discussion,” Goad said.
Messages left on the cell phones of Commissioners Jim Stakem and Dale Lewis weren’t returned before deadline.
Contact Kevin Spradlin at kspradlin@times-news.com.
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