FERRELL CHARGES POLITICS IN REINBURSEMENT ISSUE

BENTON -- Scott County Sheriff Bill Ferrell charged Monday that politics is behind an issue that has been raised over the approximately $100,000 in mileage reimbursements he received last year.

Ferrell, who makes a salary of $40,000, owns nine vehicles, which he and other deputies use. Ferrell drives one of the vehicles. Deputies drive six others. The eighth vehicle is used for taking prisoners to the state penitentiary and the ninth serves as a spare vehicle, he said.

Two other deputies use their own vehicles, Ferrell said. The county doesn't own any sheriff's department vehicles.

Scott County Presiding Commissioner Durward Dover expressed concern about the reimbursement system, suggesting that perhaps the county commission should look at buying vehicles for the sheriff's department rather than continue with the current system.

But Ferrell contends the issue is being raised now solely for political reasons. He contended that Dover is supporting Ferrell's opponent, former Highway Patrol trooper A.E. "Bud" Mills of Sikeston in the August Democratic primary.

The Democratic primary, which is only two weeks away, is tantamount to winning election; there are no Republican candidates running for county office.

"This is politically motivated," Ferrell said of the reimbursement issue. "The timing is what is bad on it."

Ferrell, who has served as sheriff of Scott County for the past 16 years, said the mileage reimbursements are a break-even deal at best.

"I didn't come out ahead. I would say last year I probably broke even," the sheriff said.

He said he has to set aside some of the money from mileage reimbursements from year to year in order to replace vehicles when needed.

He said he buys the vehicles, some of them used cars from the Missouri Highway Patrol, and pays for their upkeep. "I pay personal property tax on every one of those vehicles."

Ferrell said he makes all the car payments and pays for all repairs, fuel and insurance premiums.

"For someone to even insinuate that I have done something improper, that is low politics; it is negative politics," he said.

"I do it because I think it is my responsibility to run the best sheriff's department I can."

When asked about who he supports for sheriff, Dover declined to comment. "I don't think I should go public and tell the people of this county how they should vote."

But he said the mileage reimbursement issue could hurt Ferrell's re-election chances.

Dover said the commission has talked about the possibility of the county providing vehicles rather than relying on the sheriff to provide them.

But he said there's no point in discussing the situation further until after the Aug. 4 election. "We'll discuss it after the election."

He pointed out that a lot could change in the election. Not only is Ferrell opposed for re-election, but so are county associate commissioners Lynn Ingram of Sikeston and Joe Spalding of Benton.

Neither Ingram nor Spalding could be reached for comment Monday. However, in a story in Sunday's edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Spalding voiced support for Ferrell and the current reimbursement system.

Dover said that if Mills were elected sheriff, the current reimbursement issue might be resolved.

Mills said Monday night that if elected sheriff he would scrap the current system in favor of having the county furnish the patrol cars.

He contended Ferrell is profiting from the current arrangement. With county-owned vehicles, said Mills, "you have no mileage problems, you have no budget problems."

Mills maintained it would be more economical than the current practice.

Dover also said it might be more economical for the county to own sheriff's department vehicles.

But Ferrell said the idea has been tried before. "The county owned the vehicles in 1977, the first year I was sheriff."

He said it had been the practice for the sheriff and deputies to use their own vehicles. "The commission at that time thought that the previous sheriff had been making money on the cars."

But after one year of owning the vehicles, the county went back to the old system, Ferrell said, because it was more economical.

In 1978, all of the deputies used their own vehicles. But over the years, as deputies would leave and new ones were hired, Ferrell said, he bought vehicles for the department's use.

Dover said that it's difficult to discuss the issue because critics will contend it's simply politics. "Every damn thing I say to you will be labeled as political," he told a Southeast Missourian reporter.

Both Dover and Ferrell said there's also an issue as to the rate of mileage reimbursement.

In February, the commission voted 2-1, with Spalding dissenting, to reduce the mileage reimbursement rate for the sheriff and his deputies from 25 cents to 20.5 cents a mile. The move was designed to bring the rate in line with that paid other Scott County government officials and employees.

But Ferrell has continued to take mileage reimbursement money out of the fee revenue at the 25-cents-a-mile rate. He said state law stipulates the 25-cent rate for sheriffs and deputies.

"This matter will have to be resolved," said Dover, adding that the county may have to sue the sheriff.