Mecklenburg County officials are slowing starting to get the big picture on funding the criminal justice system so it can do its job. County commissioner Jim Puckett is headed in the right direction:
Puckett placed some of the blame on State House Speaker Jim Black, a Democrat who represents Mecklenburg County.
“You would think his clout would allow him to articulate an argument for why the largest county in the state should have a sufficient number of DAs,” Puckett said. Black’s office did not return CL’s phone call.
Puckett also suggested commissioners should take some of the blame. Last year, when Republicans controlled the commission, they asked County Manager Harry Jones to be more active in Raleigh on issues such as court funding, Puckett said. What’s more, the subject often comes up in private conversations commissioners have with legislators, he said, but suggested maybe that wasn’t enough.
“We should have probably pushed harder for them to be active about it,” said Puckett. “It hasn’t been on the legislative agenda and maybe it should be.”
Change that maybe to definately and start with the assumption that at least $2 million in low-priority county spending can and will be directed to fund prosecutors and we’ll have a good start on the problem.
