Crime & Safety

Pasco County, Sheriff Settle Dispute

No new deputies will be funded this year.

After a lengthy back-and-forth between Pasco County Sheriff Bob White and the county commission, the $4 million budget dispute was settled Sunday, Feb. 13.

White has agreed to accept the commission’s offer of $944,673 to fund pension and insurance costs for existing staff members.

Word of the agreement came from Commissioner Pat Mulieri.

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In an e-mail, she wrote, “At 2:30 today the sheriff accepted the proposal made on Saturday. It will provide the funding for the raise in pensions and insurance. There is no funding for deputies.”

Mulieri said this cancels White's appeal and is "good news."

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Sheriff’s office spokesman Doug Tobin confirmed that an agreement had been reached.

The commission decided to fund the $944,000 during a Feb. 12 emergency meeting called to try and settle the dispute prior to a Feb. 14 hearing in Tallahassee. White’s acceptance of the offer means the governor’s office will no longer have to settle the dispute.

At issue originally was a $4 million request from White to bolster his budget enough to hire 28 deputies, other staff members and fund related expenses. The money to cover a pension and insurance shortfall was included in the $4 million.

White had twice lowered his request, shaving off the number of deputies he wanted. As of Feb. 12, he was asking for $2.4 million to add 21 deputies, pay for vehicles and related expenses and also fund pension and insurance costs.

Commissioners voted Feb. 12 to pay the $944,000 for pension and insurance funding, but would not agree to additional staff members.

Pointing out that commissioners funded 24 new positions in last year’s budget and anticipate a $7-million-plus shortfall in property taxes next year, Commissioner Jack Mariano said he could not agree with placing an extra burden on the county.

“This year we asked him to hold his budget even,” Mariano said. “Everyone else has cut. Enough is enough. Why are we looking to spend more money?”

Schrader made the motion to approve the pension funding. It passed 4-1 with Mariano voting against it.

The sheriff’s office has 1.2 deputies per 1,000 residents, according to Kevin Doll, spokesman. The national average is between 2.2 and 2.5 deputies per thousand.


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