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Pasco Sheriff's Tentative Budget Draws Mixed Reactions

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By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: May 30, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY -- No layoffs and no pay raises are included in the proposed Pasco Sheriff's Office budget for fiscal 2009 released today.

Sheriff Bob White is planning to spend next budget year about $1.1 million less than he did in the current fiscal year.

Still, the question on the minds of some county commissioners and other county leaders Friday afternoon was will that be enough of a reduction given the county's revenue problems?

White is asking for $85 million for fiscal 2009, which starts Oct. 1. That figure is about half of all property tax revenue the county collects each year.

"You ruined my weekend," Commissioner Michael Cox said in the Pasco Government Center parking lot when a reporter first showed him a copy of a summary of the Sheriff's Office budget proposal.

Under state law Florida sheriffs must make public their budget proposals for the coming fiscal year by June 1.

Cox said county officials had asked the sheriff to shoot for a 6 percent spending reduction. That would have been in the neighborhood of a $5 million decrease from the law enforcement agency's fiscal 2008 budget of about $86.1 million.

Cox emphasized he has not had time yet to go through the entire budget document released today by White. Cox, a Democrat, is not up for re-election this year. White, a Republican, is seeking a third four-year term as sheriff.

"This is a starting point ... and we have the rest of the summer" to finalize budget numbers, Sheriff's Office spokesman Kevin Doll said today. "We don't know what the final numbers will be" on the amount of tax revenue the county will collect, he said.

As a point of comparison, another of the county's elected constitutional officers, Clerk of the Court Jed Pittman, released his proposed fiscal 2009 budget today as well. It calls for a 5 percent spending reduction from his 2008 budget of $3,275,063.

Pittman, who will retire late this year after 31 years as clerk, also noted his office has returned $2.9 million in excess fee revenue the past two years.

"This is going to be a tough year," Commissioner Pat Mulieri said today about the next budget. Mulieri said she had read warnings from Property Appraiser Mike Wells that total assessed Pasco property value might be down roughly $3 billion. This potentially would take another bite out of county property tax revenue for 2009.

"I appreciate that," Mulieri, a Republican, said when asked about White's proposed $1.1 million overall reduction in the Sheriff's Office budget.

"Compared to last year, it looks a lot better," Mulieri added.

A year ago, White initially asked for a budget of $94.7 million, which would have been a 13.4 percent increase. Among other things, White wanted to hire 109 employees.

In the end, however, the County Commission approved the $86.1 million Sheriff's Office budget.
As for this year's budget review season, "We just have to roll with the punches and see what happens," Mulieri commented. She is confident "excellent" county leadership and staff "can handle it."

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