Voters often think about the cost of a politician in terms of said politician’s salary and benefits. They might notice that Washington County Judge Patrick Deakins has increased his own compensation over the last three years to the maximum allowable by law – over $221,000. But if they stop there, they’re missing the bigger picture.
The true cost of a politician may mightily exceed his take-home pay, and such is the case with County Judge Patrick Deakins.
When reviewing Washington County’s expenditures over the past few years, it’s tempting to think that the judge must have had an overwhelming mandate from the people. Why else would he increase spending in the county by 51%?
But in truth Judge Deakins won his seat in 2022 by only 18 votes.
Perhaps voters disagree regarding the question of whether increased government spending is in itself a bad thing – but some of Deakins’s budget expenditures have been, well, personal.
In addition to raising his own salary and benefit package to a level which would make most public servants blush, Deakins has engaged in excessive lawfare, filing and provoking lawsuits which have cost the county hundreds of thousands in legal fees and increased attorney salaries.
When we combine the above legal costs with Judge Deakins’s increased salary and benefits, and with the 69% expansion in his department budget, we gain a much clearer understanding of the true cost of Judge Deakins:
The truth is this:
Judge Deakins’s personal cost to Washington County is nearly $700,000 per year more than his predecessor. This is significantly more than residents expect to pay for their county executive.
Does his job performance warrant such compensation?
The voters will answer that question on March 3rd.
