Broadwater County sheriff says mill-levy failure will cut deputies, school presence

Sheriff Nick Rausser told the Broadwater County Commission on May 14 that the failure of the recent sheriff public‑safety mill levy will force immediate cuts to law‑enforcement services, including the removal of a school resource officer and the loss of an anticipated South‑End deputy position.

"Sergeant Cordova is out of the school as of Monday," Rausser said. He told the commission a deputy position that would have been filled if the levy had passed "is now cut out of the budget and done." Rausser said one other employee is retiring in August and will not be replaced, and several deputies will be reassigned to work in the jail.

Rausser said the sheriff's office lost "$1,200,000 out of our budget," and described the operational consequences: deputies will be pulled into jail duties, patrols will become more reactive, and the office will curb proactive policing because of reduced fuel and personnel budgets. "So to the people who made the comments in the public about wanting reactive policing, that's unfortunately what we're gonna get," he said.

Rausser urged the community to organize and support another levy effort, saying the office plans to run the measure again next June. He framed the outcome as a public‑information problem, urging residents to become better informed and to vote.

Why it matters: Rausser's description indicates immediate, tangible changes in policing resources for Broadwater County, including loss of school coverage and reduced patrol capacity. Commissioners acknowledged the short‑term staffing impacts during the meeting and encouraged public engagement around future funding efforts.

Meeting context and next steps: Commissioners and the sheriff discussed outreach and turnout after the mill‑levy defeat; the sheriff said the office will seek community support for a repeat ballot next June. No new revenue source or mitigation plan was adopted at the May 14 meeting.