Johnny Moats
Once elected, I will personally meet with every sheriff’s office employee to establish an open door policy. I want to know the people I will be working with and I want them to know me and what I expect from them as employees.
Will you please name two things you would do to reduce the budget?
First, I would eliminate alot of the paid overtime at the Sheriff’s Office. I have researched why the sheriff’s office pays so much in overtime. I have a plan to drastically reduce the overtime by simply staggering certain employee’s hours and cut out the need for overtime. Second, by stopping the unnecessary expenditures currently made by the sheriff’s office will offer a substantial reduction. We will not spend money that we don’t have. I will only spend taxpayer’s money when absolutely necessary and I will work closely with our county commissioners to ensure my office is on or under budget.
What is the one thing that the sheriff's office could do to reduce the drug problem in Polk County?
I will meet with all the surrounding police departments in our county and discuss the drug problem. I will work with all local police departments and together we can come up with a plan for our county to get the drugs off our streets. I believe if we all work together as a team and stop competing against each other we can put a huge dent in the drug problem. My goal is to make this county safe for our families.
How would you improve efficiency within the sheriff's office?
Through quality training, every employee will know how to correctly perform his/her job. Performing work correctly will prevent someone else from having to go back and fix mistakes and will save the county money in overtime. Well-trained employees that do things right the first time will create an efficient sheriff’s office. Also, we can improve the efficiency by focusing on the duties of the sheriff’s office. I will stop the duplication of services by the sheriff’s office. Taxpayers’ money and manpower is being wasted by doing the same jobs our county and city police are doing. I think our local police departments do a great job and if they ever need the help from our office we will be happy to assist them.
How would you put more accountability into the general running of the sheriff's office?
I will appoint only the most qualified personnel to management (Command Staff) positions. These individuals will offer the leadership needed to improve the operation of the sheriff’s office. Through routine evaluations, every employee will be held accountable for his/her performance as well as the necessary steps for improvement.
What is the biggest challenge you see in becoming the new sheriff and how do you plan to overcome it?
The biggest challenge that I foresee is rewriting the existing sheriff’s employee policy. The existing policy will have to be completely rewritten to clearly establish a new code of conduct for employees and to lay the foundation for the sheriff’s office to begin heading in the right direction. Our sheriff’s office employees will adhere to a code of conduct and we will be professional in everything we do.
What do you see as being the responsibilities of the sheriff?
As sheriff, I will be bound by law to fulfill specific duties. These duties are held in the state constitution and the laws of Georgia. In addition to providing physical security in the courtrooms and courthouse, the sheriff serves as bailiff to the Superior Court. The sheriff is charged with serving all court summons, including subpoenas and civil process papers. The sheriff is responsible for the transportation of mentally ill residents of our county to mental health emergency receiving facilities. The sheriff is also responsible for the health, safety, housing and welfare of all inmates. Ultimately, I will proudly be your representative for all public safety concerns within Polk County.