Penny funds will pay for patrol motorcycles

County commissioners approve new bikes for the Sheriff's Office, which had been leasing.

By DAVID DECAMP, Times Staff Writer
Published January 23, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - Sheriff Bob White will get to buy seven new motorcycles for traffic patrolling, having avoided another scrap Tuesday over his spending.

The County Commission voted 5-0 to use $100,000 from the Penny for Pasco sales tax to purchase the bikes instead of leasing them. County officials originally planned to use Penny dollars to buy 100 marked patrol cars; now they will buy 95 cars plus the motorcycles.

The sheriff's leased Harley-Davidsons are due to be returned in eight days, and spokesman Doug Tobin said the motorcycles have been taken off patrol and sent to the sheriff's garage. It's uncertain how long it will take new motorcycles to arrive and be outfitted, although county and sheriff's officials have begun work on the purchase.

In the meantime, the motorcycle officers are driving patrol vehicles, Maj. Maurice Radford said.

"If it takes six months, it takes six months," Tobin said. "But we certainly hope it doesn't take that long."

White's agency began asking to buy the bikes in June, but the issue foundered with county officials. The monthly lease on each bike, if renewed, would go up $100 a month to $450, but the sheriff and county didn't include money in White's budget this year to renew the contract.

County budget director Mike Nurrenbrock said the issue posed a policy change for the board. Voters approved the 2004 pitch for the sales tax increase after being told the money would be for patrol vehicles.

While the commission voted unanimously, Commissioner Ann Hildebrand said she wasn't comfortable with the change. A bike and a car are different, she said.

But Commissioner Michael Cox was satisfied that marked police motorcycles fell in line with the terms of the referendum.

"I am not interested in having Penny money pay for a tow vehicle for a horse trailer or something of that nature, even though it may be marked with a sheriff's office decal and all that," Cox said.

"It does make sense to me that motorcycles are traffic enforcement vehicles," Cox said. "They have sworn personnel on them."

David DeCamp can be reached at ddecamp@sptimes.com or 727869-6232.

[Last modified January 22, 2008, 21:57:31]