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Criminal justice subcommittee lacked quorum; budget question raised over chief deputy pay
Summary
The criminal justice subcommittee did not have a quorum. Representative Harrington (on Zoom) reviewed the criminal justice budget and questioned an amount set aside for the sheriff’s chief deputy; a committee member said the budget left room so the sheriff could pick a chief deputy.
Members of the Strafford County Executive Committee heard that the criminal justice subcommittee did not have a quorum at its recent meeting. Representative Harrington, who joined by Zoom, reviewed the criminal justice budget and flagged questions about the allocation for the sheriff’s chief deputy.
A committee member said Representative Harrington was concerned that the amount set aside for the chief deputy appeared to be more than the sheriff’s salary. The committee member said he explained the allocation was intended to leave enough money so the sheriff would have the ability to select a chief deputy and to ensure the position could be filled at a competitive rate.
The subcommittee planned to meet before the executive committee meeting at 8:30 a.m. so members could review the budget together. No formal budget action was taken in the public session reported in the transcript.
Why it matters: Questions about how a personnel line is budgeted can affect hiring flexibility and overall department costs.
Details: The subcommittee meeting was scheduled to run prior to the executive committee’s 9 a.m. meeting. Representative Harrington participated remotely and had “a couple of questions” about the criminal justice budget, including the allocation for the sheriff’s chief deputy. A committee speaker said the appropriation was intended to allow the sheriff to select a deputy without being constrained by an undersized line item.
