Almost every governmental entity in the area, and the nation, is experiencing budget constrictions. I've written about Garland's challenges. I also watch what other entities are doing, how hard they are being hit, and how they deal with the challenge.
 
Dallas County is in the same boat. Commissioners asked every department to prepare a budget 10% lower than the previous year. Commissioner Mike Cantrell reported that every department had attempted to do so ... except the District Attorney. Some departments cut much more than 10%. The actual cuts will be determined by the commissioners based on where they see the priorities.
 
I posted a couple weeks ago about a "Town Hall" meeting conducted at City Hall by DA Craig Watkins. Owner and editor of the The Garland News, Jay Jones, was there and wrote about his impressions. It was interesting to note that his impressions were similar to mine. He included a lot of details that I skipped. His observations are below. Needless to say, I don't think the DA's efforts constitute an effective method of lobbying the commissioners.
 

The Garland News, June 11:

District Attorney, County Commissioner debate budget cuts

By Jay Jones, Editor
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A public meeting was held in the Garland city council chamber on Tuesday, June 2, where District Attorney Craig Watkins and Dallas County Commissioner for District 2, Mike Cantrell, squared-off in a debate over the county’s budget cuts for fiscal year 2009-2010. Due to an anticipated decrease in property tax revenue for 2009 and 2010, the Court asked Watkins and all other county department heads to cut their budgets 10 percent.
 
By 7 p.m., every seat in the council chamber was occupied and those lacking a place to sit were lined up against the walls. It became clear early on that most of the audience consisted of Watkins’s employees when Cantrell asked the DA’s employees to stand.
 
Watkins said crime would increase if his budget was cut because he would have to lay off several staff members. He also said it would cost the county more in the long run because those who had been charged with a crime, but couldn’t make bail or were being held without bail, would spend more time in the county’s jail awaiting trial. Watkins said with his current budget, his office only averaged six trials monthly—three jury trials and three trials where a defendant’s innocence or guilt is decided by the trial judge.
 
At $57 a day to house a prisoner, Watkins said it wouldn’t take long before the increased expense of housing prisoners for longer periods would surpass a 10 percent budget cut.
 
Watkins’s speech was followed by a Power Point presentation by Watkins’s staff member, Lincoln Monroe.
 
Cantrell then presented his case using a Power Point presentation. Cantrell’s presentation included information that the District Attorney controlled discretionary accounts totaling $2,351,000. Cantrell said the DA wouldn’t have to lay off any staff members if he would use this money to pay his staff members.
 
Cantrell’s supporters listened to Watkins’s speech without interruption, but Watkins’s employees and supporters did not extend the same courtesy to Cantrell.
 
Cantrell told Watkins that if he would meet with him and Commissioner John Wiley Price, they could reach a budget agreement in one day. A few seconds before the meeting was adjourned, Cantrell got a “yes” from Watkins when he asked him the third or fourth time if he would meet with him and Price. On June 10 Cantrell told the ’News that they were supposed to meet with the DA on Thursday, June 11.
 
Watkins plans to hold a public budget meeting in the three other County Commissioner Districts. Commissioner Price has said he would not attend such a meeting, while Commissioners Dickey and Mayfield have yet to say yea or nay.