St. Leo gives blessing to continuing sheriff's service
After hearing from several residents, town commissioners agree to keep contracting with the Sheriff's Office for its law enforcement needs.
By CHASE SQUIRES
Published August 11, 2004
ST. LEO - Town commissioners examined their contract with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office on Monday, listened to the concerns of Lake Jovita residents, heard from happy locals and appeared satisfied with the sheriff's service.
Residents of the small east Pasco town have contracted with the Sheriff's Office for police protection since their own department folded in 1992, but an increase in costs in recent years, and the development of the Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club community, sparked Monday's review.
Brother James Hallet, the town's mayor, said Commissioner John Fantone raised the issue at a budget workshop last month.
Fantone, who lives in the Lake Jovita development that straddles the town limits, questioned the $65,204 the town is expecting to pay in the coming fiscal year for added policing.
The way the contract works, St. Leo and neighboring San Antonio split the cost of a deputy to exclusively patrol inside the municipal limits. Advocating the agreement, San Antonio Mayor Roy Pierce said that with the added protection the two municipalities, per square mile, make up the most heavily patrolled corner of Pasco County.
"You're buying a dedicated law enforcement officer that's in your front yard and knows the neighborhood," Pierce said. "I think it's a very good investment."
Lake Jovita General Manager Ronnie Deese asked a few questions about patrol frequencies, learned deputies patrol the parts of Lake Jovita that are inside town limits at least two to three times each night and did not object to continuing the service.
Resident Beverly Downing said having deputies she knows on patrol has helped protect her house from vandalism when she wasn't there and complimented the service.
"It's just the service that you feel," she said.
Deputy Patrick Cottrell said the area is like a second home to him.
"This is my town," he said. "If something happens, I take it personally, and I try to fix it."
When no one motioned to challenge the existing contract, Hallet said the matter appeared settled and moved on.
In other business, Commissioner Richard Christmas said plans to coat the town's roads with a sealant are moving forward, and work should begin after Oct. 1. The work will not include State Road 52, which is maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation.
And Town Attorney Charles Chritton said a package of housekeeping adjustments to the town charter appear ready to go to voters for approval in November. Christmas pointed out that the town's official name, according to the charter, is St. Leo, rather than Saint Leo.
