The Dodge County Sheriff says budget cuts to his department included at the last minute in the county budget approved by the county board this week will have a significant impact on the safety of Dodge County residents. Sheriff Dale Schmidt says the board approved a budget amendment by one vote which cuts more than $74,000 from the patrol division, which he says will limit proper response to calls for service and conducting proper drug investigations. “Our patrol staff is very frustrated already. We have turnover that we’re going through and retirements that are happening and now to cut that even further… it just sets us further behind,” Schmidt told WFDL news. “There were other budget amendments aimed at cutting our squad cars.” Schmidt says the cuts are on top of $500,000 in cuts last year that were the result of a shortfall after the board voted to close a portion of the county jail despite warnings against doing so. Schmidt says ironically the cuts directly contradict an $85,000 study commissioned by the board that suggested the Sheriff’s Office is understaffed. Schmidt says the Sheriff’s Office has extended an offer many times to a handful of board supervisors who led the charge in favor of the cuts to answer questions or provide information. He says that offer has not been accepted by this group of supervisors.
