The Lonely Republicans

continued

Both also agree that controlling the department’s budget is a high priority. “We have to manage our budget,” says Clayton. “We have to be fiscally responsible—and the key is to keep overtime on budget.” The key for Taylor is “equipment. If you can buy equipment for less that works just as good, then you should.” Taylor acknowledges “overtime is a big deal” in the department’s budget overruns; to control it, he says, he’ll “require command staff work one day a week on patrol” and use unpaid “police reservists” to back up regular deputies.   

[Originally published in October, 2008.]