Round 2 for sheriff, county

Commissioners and the lawman will meet today to negotiate funding for the agency.

By DAVID DECAMP, Times Staff Writer
Published August 27, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Dan McDuffie | Times] Pasco County Sheriff Bob White says his agency bore the brunt of tax cuts last year - and he's afraid it's going to happen this year, too.

NEW PORT RICHEY - Pasco County Sheriff Bob White says his agency bore the brunt of tax cuts last year - and he's afraid it's going to happen this year, too.

County officials told Sheriff Bob White two weeks ago to entirely erase his plan to spend $11.2-million more next year. A year ago, they reduced a proposed budget increase to cut property taxes, too.

"They led me to believe they want me to foot the bill again," White told the Pasco Times last week. "And that means I'm doing it on the backs of my deputies."

He and commissioners will meet at 9:30 a.m. today in New Port Richey for Round 2 of their budget fight.

The commission is deciding how to cut $15.8-million to balance the proposed budget because of state orders to reduce property taxes. At least $13-million in cuts are still needed.

Last year, the County Commission decided to slice property taxes by $6.4-million before deciding where to make reductions. White asked the board for a $13-million increase, not including buying patrol cars from sales tax money.

Ultimately, the board cut the sheriff's request by $3-million. The rest of the tax cut was paid from leftover money that was more than expected.

"Last year, they took $3-million, and no one else took a hit," White said.

That point is among White's latest salvos to win more money for an agency he says is in need. But Commissioner Ted Schrader said White's suggestion isn't fair - one example of how county officials say the sheriff's explanations are not as simple as they appear.

First, the sheriff's budget uses half of the property tax money the county collects.

Top county administrators also trim most department spending proposals before they unveil the proposed budget.

And it's not like the sheriff went without.

Despite last year's cut, White's budget rose from $74-million to $83.5-million, essentially giving him three-quarters of the increase he wanted. Since 2002, he has received 98 percent of the spending he requested, according to the sheriff's figures.

White also has made much of figures showing Pasco's $135 per capita cost for the law enforcement services section of his budget. That's lower than other police and sheriff's departments in the area and other large departments in Florida.

But state law enforcement statistics also show Pasco's crime rate, while rising last year, is lower than the state average. The Pasco agency's case clearance rate is better than Florida's average, too.

Balancing the budget this year, county officials say, will be more difficult than last year because the Legislature ordered rate cuts for property taxes. Even if they slice all of White's increase, there's roughly $2-million more to cut.

But White countered that: "If law enforcement is the most important thing that we do ... and I believe it is, then I think law enforcement should have at least first consideration."

Today's meeting could be a step toward giving White at least some of what he wants. While the board has questioned adding jobs and new equipment, Schrader suggested costs for raises and benefit increase have to be considered.

"I don't think it's realistic for us to expect him to have a zero increase in his budget," Schrader said.

David DeCamp can be reached ddecamp@sptimes.com or 727 869-6232.

[Last modified August 26, 2007, 21:50:28]