What was supposed to be an update about the finances of the inmate dormitory facility ended up with a commissioner shouting at the county sheriff as he read a prepared statement but refused to answer questions.

Monroe County Sheriff Tilman Crutchfield told the Monroe County Board of Commissioners Finance Committee - more than three months after members say they made their original request for day-to-day revenues and expenditures - that no one ever had asked him for additional information.

"(Commissioner V. Lehr Roe) was quoted in The Evening News as having stated, 'I am all alone screaming in the woods here,' " Sheriff Crutchfield said. "That's exactly where any requests must have been made. I have e-mail, a telephone and an administrative secretary. There is absolutely no excuse why any one of you could not have contacted me personally."

In March the commissioners understood there was an $800,000 deficit at the dormitory on E. Dunbar Rd. At that March 12 meeting, panel members asked for breakdowns of several different categories at the jail.

Two weeks ago - after several meetings with jail updates on the agenda but postponed for one reason or another - several commissioners questioned why the sheriff had not made the information available in a more timely fashion.

The sheriff took time Tuesday to address their concerns by giving commissioners his understanding of county budgeting and finances.

"All county commissioners should know that all revenue received and all expenditures for the jail are available through county finance," he said. "The sheriff's office does not keep the official financial books, the county finance department does.

"All expenditures of the sheriff's office are sent to county finance and are approved by the finance committee and that is comprised of you, the county commissioners."

But talking about budgeting wasn't the sheriff's only goal.

"I am compelled to comment on the remarks made by a few of the commissioners that brought into question, intentionally or otherwise, the honesty and integrity of the sheriff's office employees," he said, referring specifically to comments made by Commissioners Thomas Mell and Jerry Oley.

Mr. Mell had said, "I think they're cooking the books," when asked why the sheriff's department was slow in coming up with the numbers.

"(Mr. Mell) later told me he had based his statement on a partial conversation he had overheard," Sheriff Crutchfield said. "I find those comments to be without merit, very unprofessional, slanderous and in complete disregard of the hard work and efforts of the employees at the sheriff's office."

But as the sheriff next recounted things Mr. Oley had said, that commissioner erupted and tried to shout over the sheriff's comments. Committee Chairman Gail Hauser-Hurley rapped her gavel repeatedly and called for order, but the shouting continued and the sheriff spoke on.

"I have been informed that Mr. Oley leaned over to another commissioner during the (last) finance committee meeting and asked him if he wanted to get in on the sheriff bashing," Mr. Crutchfield said. "I find those comments and actions repulsive, unprofessional, counterproductive to the effective operation of county government and of highly questionable purpose.

"Mr. Oley no longer has any credibility with the sheriff's office in his capacity as a county commissioner."

During that point in the sheriff's remarks, Mr. Oley shouted his disapproval.

"You are plainly lying," he shouted, specifically taking issue with the "sheriff bashing" comment. "I find your statements an outright lie. I never said that. Provide the information of who told you that. This is purely politically motivated."

Mr. Oley went on to say that requesting the information on the costs and revenues at the jail is in his job description.

"The sheriff's department makes up the largest part of our budget. I think we are the people who are supposed to ask the critical questions. That's no reason to be attacked as I was tonight. I have written letters to the sheriff requesting this information."

The county commissioners in April voted to use $500,000 in unreserved funds to cover the deficit, but were still asking for more information. Mr. Oley took further issue with the sheriff's report Tuesday, which claims that the dormitory is on track this year to make $500,000 more than it's supposed to.

Before reading his speech the sheriff announced some "ground rules" he would follow. They included: not "entering into debate," and not being "here to answer questions." After his comments, he abruptly left the meeting, as did a host of other law enforcement officials.

Mr. Oley again took exception.

"It's too bad he doesn't have enough courage to stand up here and let us ask questions," he said as the sheriff walked out. "But the sheriff feels that he's above the rest."

The acrimonious meeting ended with Exeter Township resident and candidate for county commissioner Jan Jay crying foul at the disparity in treatment of people addressing the board.

"I saw tyrant Tilman (Crutchfield) stand up here and tell you what he was going to do," Mr. Jay said. "But when I come up here and ask, not tell you, ask you, for information I'm told to go sit down."

Several weeks ago Mr. Jay was dismissed from the lectern for comments board Chairman William Sisk said were "out of line."

"You people make me sick when you let people yell at you like dictators and then tell other citizens with legitimate concerns to go away," Mr. Jay said.

Sheriff Crutchfield presented a summary of an inch-thick financial report on operations at the county jail to the Monroe County Board of Commissioners Finance Committee Tuesday.

It included:

-- Total revenue generated by the jail division through the end of May exceeded total expenditures by $52,000.

-- Had the dormitory not been built, the county would have spent at least $700,000 to house the prisoners out of county this year alone.

-- Overtime expenditures in the jail division have been abnormally high this fiscal year because of minimum staffing requirements, several employees being off on extended sick leave and the jails "being continually short staffed."

-- A request has been submitted to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) for a rate increase that if approved would generate an additional $180,000 this year.

-- There are no major structural or mechanical problems with the dormitory facility.

-- There have been no major incidents at the facility.

-- The sheriff's office "has received very few citizens inquiries about the dormitory."

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