City leaders vote for talks intended to dismantle the Police and Fire departments.
By CHASE SQUIRES
Published August 1, 2003
DADE CITY - Facing a budget shortfall with no prospect of a quick fix, Dade City commissioners on Thursday unanimously gave new City Manager Harold Sample the go-ahead to start talks aimed at disbanding the city's Police and Fire departments.
Mayor Scott Black said he expects commissioners to make the final decision at a 5:30 p.m. meeting Aug. 12 at City Hall.
The vote lets Sample proceed with negotiations to have Pasco County step in. It came after Sample presented figures that he said showed no other way to come up with a needed $1.5-million in cuts or new revenue.
Even raising the city's tax rate to $10 per $1,000 of taxable value would cover less than a third of the expected shortfall. As it stands, the city will need to draw about $140,000 out of a $2.1-million reserve fund just to make it through September, Sample said.
"God knows I hate to be the messenger," Sample told commissioners.
Sample took over the city manager job July 1.
"You came in at a bad time," Commissioner Eunice Penix said.
Although the figures are still preliminary, Sample said the city could save about $844,700 a year by paying the county to step in for about $317,000 a year and renting the city's fire station back to the county.
Paying the Pasco County Sheriff's Office to patrol Dade City, with a minimum of three deputies in the city around the clock, would save the city up to $500,000 a year, Sample said.
A tax increase, an increase in city fees or blanket assesments might still be needed to reach the goal, he said.
Sample told commissioners he had preliminary agreements with the county that sworn police officers and firefighters would be offered jobs with the county if the local departments are dissolved.
Police and Fire department employees, along with other city employees, packed the commission room for the meeting but were not invited to address commissioners at the budget workshop meeting.
Police Chief Phil Thompson said he and Sample met with sheriff's officials Thursday. His supervisors, he said, would probably not be offered supervisor positions with the Sheriff's Office, but all sworn officers would be offered a job of some type, he said.
In the meantime, he said just the news of the anticipated change will likely send his officers scurrying for new jobs elsewhere.
"I never thought I'd be the last police chief when I took this job in 1987," Thompson said. "But the way it looks, I may be the last police chief."
After the meeting, Black stressed no final decision has been made, but barring some new information or new source of money, it's looking like both departments will go.
He said other cities, such as Dunedin in Pinellas County, have contracted for services with the county government and still remained viable. He said he has heard comments from both sides, but he has heard more in support of disbanding the departments than he expected.
Black said the commission accepted the blame for not seeing the financial crunch coming but said some factors, such as the county's decision to end a contract for city fire protection outside the city, came quickly.
He said former City Manager Doug Drymon tried to warn the commission, but the board held out hope things could continue without drastic change.
Commissioner Lowell Harris said that knowing bad news was on the way made the weeks leading to Thursday's meeting difficult, but he said he is optimistic that Dade City will prosper.
"I still have a lot of pride in Dade City," he said. "The future is still bright."
- Chase Squires covers Dade City news. He can be reached at 352 521-5757, ext. 27 or toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6108, then 27. His e-mail address is squires@sptimes.com
