Regarding the sheriff's substation in Summerfield:

At one dollar a year rent plus utilities, it would have been a sweet deal for Sheriff BJ Barnes. The sheriff's wife, Summerfield Mayor Dena Barnes, announced she'd promised the sheriff a facility five years ago on a news broadcast. She and the council voted unanimously to force Summerfield citizens to assume 100 percent of the tax burden to build a county facility, even though Summerfield represents 1.6 percent of Guilford's population. She further stated "the sheriff wasn't obligated to provide Summerfield with law enforcement and he does so at his pleasure."

Summerfield spent $55,000 to buy a 1.2-acre tract of land for "a free-standing sheriff's substation." Disregarding their constituents, they've spent more than $200,000 on this project. The land was found inadequate for well and septic and there were only 44 parking spaces.

This reckless spending didn't make sense until Councilwoman Carolyn Collins stated, "The money (a taxpayers reserve fund of $7 million) isn't doing any good just sitting in the bank." The project now has been scrapped, but more taxes and spending will follow. Maybe there's hope yet for the sheriff.

Robert Flowers
Summerfield