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Officials adjust for jump at the pump

The school district, Sheriff's Office and county are working to keep their vehicle-intensive services fueled and running as gasoline prices surge.

By RICK GERSHMAN
Published August 25, 2005

Unless you don't drive a motor vehicle - and in Hernando County, good luck with that - you can't miss the recent spike in gas prices. The national average for regular unleaded soared to $2.61 as of Tuesday, up 31 cents a gallon from just one month ago.

While gas technically isn't at a record high when adjusted for inflation - 1980's average would be $2.86 today - that's cold consolation when 20 bucks won't even get you 8 gallons of regular unleaded at most local stations. And no decrease is expected any time soon.

But if that seems like a major knock on the wallet, consider some of the county's largest fuel purchasers: the Sheriff's Office, the School Board and county government, particularly Public Works.

All three have had to make major increases to cover projected fuel needs for their 2005-06 budgets, and while all promise the higher expenses won't affect services, the money has to come from somewhere.

The county has its own pumps and buys its gas for about 25 cents less per gallon than individual buyers, whose price includes certain taxes. So the budgeted price of $2 per gallon made sense until prices took flight this year.

"When we had our kickoff meeting (for the 2005-06 budget) in February, we started with $2 a gallon," said Emily Vernon, the county's budget office supervisor.

"Then, by the time we started having meetings in April and May, we had bumped it to $2.50. Now we're thinking about making it a little higher."

The county's cost for gas this year has exceeded its budget of $1.06-million, Vernon said. If the county sticks with $2.50 per gallon for its next budget year, it will be looking to spend $1.6-million - an increase of $540,000.

"One thing that's been a blessing for us and a curse is the (rapid) growth," Vernon said. "Taxes are obviously going to be greater, but then the ripple effect is (more) gas use. For the Department of Public Works alone, gasoline affects every aspect of everything they do.

"It's not only affecting us, but also the contractor who is hauling something. We've had (to pay more) in all the contracts. It affects providers of materials and labor; it affects everybody."

Although fuel costs hit the Sheriff's Office just as hard, residents need not worry that that will slow response calls, said Chief Deputy Michael Hensley, who oversees operations for Sheriff Richard Nugent.

"It's just a cost we're all going to have to to bear," Hensley said. "We're doing what we can to curb costs."

The agency has bought smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles for some of its nonpatrol staffers, such as administrative and investigative personnel, Hensley said.

But patrol deputies who work out of their cars all day need to be in a full-size vehicle, he said: "It makes for the most efficient, effective response."

The Sheriff's Office fuel use for the next budget year is projected at $794,000, up from $580,000 for the current year. That's an increase of almost 37 percent. And in addition to land vehicles, the agency also has to provide fuel for its marine and aviation units.

Patrol deputies generally fuel up at tanks at the Sheriff's Office headquarters in Brooksville, but on the county's west side, many deputies also are issued cards to fill up at Hess stations.

That not only keeps them where they're supposed to be, but also saves them the cost in time - and, not incidentally, in gas - of driving to Brooksville to fill up.

Like the county, the Sheriff's Office currently budgets $2 per gallon, and is projecting $2.50 for the upcoming budget year, which begins in October. If the eventual number doesn't cover fuel costs, Hensley said, the agency has a contingency fund it can use.

Escalating fuel prices are particularly hard on the school district, which transports students countywide.

The School Board's fuel budget for 2005-06, which began July 1, is $1.5-million. That's an increase of more than 60 percent from 2004-05, when the district spent $932,000.

"You budget for expenses to go up at about an inflationary rate, you expect 3 percent, and when a cost outpaces that, it makes it difficult," said Deborah Bruggink, the school district's chief financial officer.

The school district also is planning to spend about $2.50 per gallon - again, that's less than what individuals pay at the pump - over the next year.

"It's hard since it's a commodity and it's market driven and we can't control its price," Bruggink said. "But I don't think we're going to be altering any services. The buses have to run. If they're going to need the gas, they're going to need to acquire the gas."

Rick Gershman can be reached at rgershman@sptimes.com or 352 754-6117.

[Last modified August 25, 2005, 00:52:33]