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Sheriff's budget request ignores taxpayer concerns

Sheriff Bob White thinks of his department as an economically developing Third World country and the Pasco County Commission as the United Nations.

White would be better served to think of Pasco County as an economically developing entity and his agency as the U.N. peacekeeping force. At the United Nations, lots of countries chip in to spread the burden. In Pasco, which is bracing for a building slowdown and potential government cash-flow changes in 2008, there is no such sharing of the financial responsibilities tied to public safety.

Considering that scenario, commissioners acted prudently Tuesday to cut the sheriff's budget request, but still allocate sufficient resources to allow him to hire up to 45 new employees.

The sheriff wanted $88.7-million to run his department for the coming fiscal year, or the equivalent of 55 percent of the property taxes in the county's general fund. He left a commission workshop without 40 new cars for administrators and detectives, but with nearly $2.2-million in new money to expand his staff. White had wanted 96 new employees, including 45 officers, of which 25 would be road patrol deputies. The exact job description of the 45 new hires is to be determined by the sheriff's staff.

White left disappointed, but he shouldn't be. In an unsuccessful attempt to appease him, commissioners agreed to look for cuts elsewhere or to take $350,000 from county reserves for the sheriff's benefit. Dipping into reserves is a dangerous precedent, and the commission shouldn't make a habit of raiding its rainy day fund.

Granted, commissioners acted prematurely in August when they voted to cut $6.1-million from the county's general fund budget in order to advertise a further reduction in the property tax rate. (The current general fund rate is 6.68 mills or $6.68 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The budget proposed by County Administrator John Gallagher included a millage of 6.23, but commission-mandated cuts will leave the tax rate at 6 mills or lower.)

After painting themselves into a corner, commissioners had few alternatives but to target their largest expenditure as they trimmed spending requests. Commissioner Pat Mulieri wondered about phasing in the sheriff's stated needs over more than one year. But, in fact, they've done that already. The $2.2-million only covers salaries and benefits for six months. Allowing the sheriff to fill 45 newly created jobs will cost at least $4.4-million in 2008.

White should be more cognizant of the political atmosphere in which the commission is operating. There is no public groundswell for new law enforcement spending, but commissioners hear daily from constituents dealing with skyrocketing homeowner insurance premiums and business owners not protected by the Save Our Homes assessment cap.

Instead, the sheriff maintained he had been tossing commissioners low-balls the last four years with his budget requests. Let's not forget that in the budget year ending Sept. 30, the sheriff received close to $75-million, or a 13.5 percent increase, to add 49 new employes, including 10 road deputies and three detectives, and to finance substantial raises for his employees.

If that's his idea of a low-ball, commissioners were right to pass on the high, hard one.

[Last modified September 21, 2006, 00:48:02]