The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors is expected to approve a Fiscal Year 2007-08 budget of $249,979,020 at its meeting in Prescott on Monday, Aug. 6.

By Mike Cosentino
Larson Newspapers
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The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors is expected to approve a Fiscal Year 2007-08 budget of $249,979,020 at its meeting in Prescott on Monday, Aug. 6.

“The surprises in this budget is that there are no surprises,” District 3 Supervisor Chip Davis said.

District 3 includes Sedona and the Verde Valley.

Chip Davis

“The department heads were conservative in their requests, which is a good thing since the judicial budgets contain significant increases,” he said.

The county has to pay both ways regarding the prosecuting and defending those accused of crimes in the county.

“I am not always happy to see these costs. They do little to benefit the quality of life for residents although I know it’s important to get the bad guys off the street,” Davis said.

“Most of the residents — the law-abiding residents — of Yavapai County never see the inside of a jail or a court,” he said.

The budget for the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office is $5.9 million while the Public Defender’s Office it is $5.1 million, which includes $1.6 million for indigent defense.

Davis lauded Janet Lincoln, Public Defender’s Office chief, for controlling the expenses related to her attorneys.

Davis mentioned that death penalty cases are very expensive and a “shot in the dark.”

“We have to hire two attorneys and they can’t be conflicted,” he said.

Total courts and law enforcement is $41 million, which reflects an 8-percent increase over FY 2006-07.

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office is seeking $15.6 million, reflecting a 9-percent increase.

The Board of Supervisors will have a truth in taxation hearing regarding the budget Monday, July 23, in Cottonwood at 9 a.m. Public comment periods at Board of Supervisors meetings are at 10 a.m.

The agenda will be light since District 2 Supervisor Tom Thurman will not be present.

Shooting range

Davis would not commit to the suggestion that future county funds will be budgeted for a shooting range.

“We are willing to act as a liaison, but we won’t be a blank check,” Davis said.

“A shooting range will happen based on community involvement and community acceptance,” he said.

“We are surrounded by forest land anything we do will likely involve the [U.S.] Forest Service,” he said.

He noted that three issues are involved in establishing a shooting range and he cited the county’s ability to deal with the federal agency’s necessary.

Davis wants an archery range considered separatly from a gun range. A recreational shooting site for local users should also be separated from some kind of regional facility, Davis said.

Two locations that have been discussed are off Hwy. 89A between Cottonwood and Clarkdale and on Bill Gray Road between Cottonwood and Sedona.