Sheriff declines gift idea

A Brooksville couple donates $5 and wants others to do the same; Nugent says he can't accept.

By JOEL ANDERSON, Times Staff Writer
Published December 22, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT Hernando County Sheriff Richard Nugent says he appreciates the support, but couldn't accept the donation.

BROOKSVILLE - There's at least one gift Hernando County Sheriff Richard Nugent plans to return this holiday season.

Not that Nugent and the Sheriff's Office couldn't use the gift, or that he doesn't appreciate the gesture. It's just that accepting it could cause all sorts of problems.

And so, Nugent will return a $5 personal check - a "Sheriff's Love Gift" - from a Brooksville couple who encouraged other Hernando residents to send similar monetary offerings to the sheriff.

"We love them, too," a smiling Nugent said this week. "I think the intention is very nice and we appreciate the support. But we couldn't accept that."

Gus and Cy Hollister of Brooksville sent a letter outlining their proposal to the Sheriff's Office and followed up with e-mails to the Hernando Times and Hernando Today.

"Gus and I want to quash armed robberies, home invasions, domestic violence, trespass, burglary, assault, car jacks and thefts in our neighborhood," the letter began. "Do you? We perfected a Christmas solution."

In other e-mails to the Times, the Hollisters suggested creating bank accounts for donors that would have Nugent as the sole manager of the accounts.

The Hollisters encouraged 200,000 residents - a bit of a stretch since recent census estimates put Hernando's count at 165,409 - to pitch in $5 at a time. That could raise $1-million to build new sheriff's substations or hire more deputies.

"Gus and I believe it is a form of preventive medicine against crime," one of the e-mails read, "instead of building jails after crimes are committed."

The Hollisters' proposals stem from recent cuts to the Sheriff's Office operating budget, which was the subject of much discussion and dissension during the September budget hearings. Nugent received about $1.6-million less than he initially requested from the Hernando County Commission.

The Hollisters declined to comment directly for this story, instead referring a reporter to their previous e-mails.

Nugent said accepting a $1-million donation would be problematic because only the County Commission provides the funds for the Sheriff's Office. If these one-time citizens' donations were used to hire deputies, Nugent asked, where would the money come from in the following years to pay their salaries?

George Zoettlein, the county's budget director, said the Sheriff's Office probably could create a bank account but noted that the agency can use its funds from the commission however it sees fit.

"He asks us for one lump sum," Zoettlein said. "Whatever happens after that, he has his own record-keeping mechanism."

However, a number of problems could arise from the creation and maintenance of a separate bank account, said Mike Hensley, the sheriff's chief deputy.

"We don't think it would be prudent, practical or ethical to have citizens send in donations to the Sheriff's Office in lieu of the funding mechanisms already in place," Hensley said. "We appreciate the support and the gesture, but that would leave a lot of room for issues and questions that we don't have otherwise."

Instead, Nugent and Hensley asked that donations go to the Sheriff Office's nonprofit Youth Education Services program, which provides a number of activities and services for the county's children.

And if residents really want to ensure the Sheriff's Office gets enough money to keep up with the surging population in the county, Hensley suggested they attend the next round of budget hearings.

"We're getting behind in manpower and maybe people are sensing that," Hensley said. "If they want to support us, they need to speak to their commissioner and be present during the budget process."

Joel Anderson can be reached at joelanderson@sptimes.com or 754-6120.

[Last modified December 21, 2007, 20:57:01]