A link too far?
The Web site for the Guilford County Sheriff's Office has a county leader asking questions about whether it crosses a line with regards to the upcoming vote on bonds for a new jail.
The site contains a link to another site, asaferguilfordcounty.com, which makes a case for a new jail. It cites a report that concluded additional jail space is necessary, shows photos of "overcrowding" in the current jail and photos, some grisly, of injured officers and inmates, and notes that the state has warned the county it must address jail overcrowding.
Government employees are restricted in what they can and can't do when it comes to bond issues.
When acting as a private citizen, they are free to advocate however they wish. In an official capacity, however, the standard is different.
For Guilford County commissioner Skip Alston, an opponent of the jail bond, Sheriff BJ Barnes crossed the line.
"He's doing it in the name of the Guilford County Sheriff," Alston said. "In my opinion, it is advocating."
Alston's fellow commissioner Billy Yow, who along with Barnes is among the members of the "Jail Bond Committee," said Alston's attack is off base.
"All the "T's" have been crossed and all the "I's" have been dotted," Yow said during a meeting of the board of commissioners.
Barnes couldn't be reached for comment Friday.
Gary Bartlett, the executive director of the N.C. Board of Elections, said elected officials can engage in education and even "issue advocacy" when it comes to bonds. Basically, that means they can talk about the issue, but must stop short of saying "vote for the bonds."
The Web site doesn't appear to state its support for the bond quite so clearly. In fact, much of the information is explicity couched in terms of education. "We at the Guilford County Sheriff's Office would like to assist you in making an informed decision about the up-coming Jail Bond," Barnes stated in a letter on the Web site's front page.
Ultimately, Bartlett said, if someone makes a formal complaint, the board will investigate. If that happens, the fact that the information is linked from the sheriff's office Web site could add another wrinkle.
"It would put it into a gray area," he said.
The $115 million jail bonds will be on the May 6 ballot, along with several hundred million dollars worth of bonds for schools and parks and recreation.
Comments (1)
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If elected school board members or school administration were involved in promoting school construction bonds, or providing education of the public on that topic, would that also be problematic?
If elected city council members, or the mayor, were to publicly advocate passing bonds for city capital construction projects, or provide education regarding the need for the bonds, would that be problematic?
Just hypothetical questions.
Posted on April 5, 2008 7:04 PM