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Sheriff presents a leaner budget
By JAMIE MALERNEE
© St. Petersburg Times, The sheriff presented county officials with a leaner budget proposal Thursday, following criticism that he was asking for steak and lobster while other agencies got rice. Under the new budget, Hernando County Sheriff Richard Nugent will ask for a 9 percent increase instead of an 11 percent hike. County officials had told him in prior private meetings that 9 percent was a more reasonable request. "It is a lot of money, and we recognize that," Nugent said Thursday. "We went back and our finance people went to work . . . and we feel everything we are asking for is necessary." Nugent said he was able to shave almost $350,000 off the original proposal -- without sacrificing salary increases and additional staffing requests -- because of unexpected savings provided by the state. Still included in the now $18.9-million budget are 13 new deputy positions and two more dispatch workers, as well as raises that would increase entry-level pay by 18.5 percent and other deputy pay by comparable amounts. The raises would bring Hernando deputy pay closer, but not quite equal, to Pasco County salaries. "We really dodged a bullet here," Nugent said Thursday. "This would have been much more difficult, and we wouldn't be in the good position we are today, without those (state) reductions." Specifically, the state lowered the amount of money the agency must contribute to employee retirement programs. That alone brought $216,000 in savings. Then the amount the Sheriff's Office expected to pay for health insurance premiums also dropped. They had been warned the premiums could jump as much as 15 percent, but they have actually risen 11 percent, said Lt. Joe Paez. The difference, $28,000, helped inch the department toward the 9 precent mark. Finally, the agency cut $103,000 by leasing an expensive computer program instead of buying it. The 36-month lease cost an extra $2,000 in debt this year, but eliminated the $105,000 cost of the item from the budget, officials said. Although county commissioners are not scheduled to meet on the proposal until July 26, several said Thursday they were encouraged by the sheriff's cuts. "I'm really pleased he didn't have to cut the salaries. I know he's been having trouble retaining deputies. We're no longer competitive with Pasco County because there is such a gap," said Commissioner Betty Whitehouse. "Hopefully, we will be able to work with this. As I look at all the county budgets, health, safety and welfare are my priorities." Commissioner Chris Kingsley would not go so far as to say he will approve the new budget nor rule out asking for further cuts. But he said Nugent's willingness to work with the county was a good sign during the sheriff's first year in office, when reputations and partnerships are established. "I think it shows a cooperative effort between the sheriff and the county," Kingsley said. "It shows he came over and addressed our concerns and worked hard to resolve those."
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From today's Hernando Times Jan Glidewell |
