Department heads state their budget cases

Levittown - Just in case the Phillies are again World Series champions, plans already are under way for Montgomery County deputies to beef up some municipal police departments to help with any unruly fans who might break out in impromptu celebrations."I don't want to jinx anyone but you have to plan for these things," said Sheriff John P. Durante on Tuesday.Some 20 to 25 deputies were called out last year to help police in Hatboro, Lansdale and Limerick, according to Durante."It's all part of a mutual aid commitment we have with local police departments," Durante told the county commissioners.This mutual aid commitment was one of the examples cited by Durante to demonstrate other activities in which county deputies are involved outside their normal responsibilities to safeguard the county courthouse, to transport prison inmates and to serve warrants.In recent years, deputies have taken to the streets in Norristown's downtown business district to direct traffic, as well as to patrol the business area on foot."I can't tell you how many comments I've received from the public that they really like these high-profile patrols and that they are an enormous benefit in helping to fight the perception that Norristown is a bad place to come," said Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr.Durante added that motorcycle-mounted deputies also are patrolling the county's Schuylkill River Trail in the wake of several complaints last summer concerning attacks on trail users by young thugs.And he has done all this without increasing his staff, Durante said.Durante also said he does not intend to increase the department's complement of 133 positions next year.But, he said, he will need the county to "unfreeze" the five positions it froze for this year. He said he will have to fill these positions to staff courtrooms as the result of next year's addition of two new seats on the county's 21-member bench.He took this into account when he prepared his 2010 budget.While the commissioners are seeking an approximate 10 percent spending decrease on all departments next year, Durante's budget calls for a 2.5 percent increase, from $7.77 million this year to $7.97 million next year. Most of the increase is in the area of wages and benefits for the five positions that were frozen this year.Durante was one of six row officers, who are independently elected department heads, to meet with the commissioners Tuesday to discuss their proposed 2010 budgets.The five other row officers included the treasurer, recorder of deeds, district attorney and clerk of courts.Recorder of Deeds Nancy J. Becker is proposing a 2010 budget that reflects a 10.4 percent decrease ($210,390), while Treasurer Garret D. Page's budget calls for a 2.5 percent decrease ($18,487).District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman's proposed budget is up 0.7 percent ($96,413) and Clerk of Courts Ann Thornburgh Weiss submitted a budget seeking a 1.7 percent spending increase ($34,055).Margaret Gibbons can be reached at 610-279-6153 or mgibbons@phillyBurbs.com.

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