Sheriff's Request to Increase Staff Will Have to Wait

Commissioners put off the tough question of whether to add 23 new positions to the sheriff’s office, agreeing to discuss the request a week before their final review if the coming year’s budget.

They did agree during their meeting Tuesday to tack $47,000 to their coming budget for a veterans service counselor who will set up shop in Land O’ Lakes with an office open five days a week.

Commissioner Pat Mulieri, who pushed for the additional counselor, said 54,000 veterans in Pasco County would thank the commission.

“I really think this board has done a good thing,” she said.

Increasing the sheriff's staff wasn't as easy a decision.

Though Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco’s proposed budget of $83.37 million for the 2011-12 fiscal year is 3.5 percent below the current spending plan, it includes a request for more detectives, crime analysts and jail medical staff at a cost of about $1.6 million.

Commissioners decided Tuesday they will discuss whether to agree with the additional personnel during a workshop session on Sept. 13.

Their final public hearing to adopt the 2011-12 budget is set for Sept. 20 and the budget takes effect Oct. 1. Commissioners cannot raise the millage that is the same as last year.

They could cut money for the personnel from the sheriff’s budget, shift the money to reserve accounts commissioners are trying to build or spend the money elsewhere in the budget.

The Case for Adding More Staff

Nocco said he needs the additional personnel, including 15 new vice detectives, to combat an explosion of pill mills and rampant addiction to prescription narcotics that are sparking a crime wave across the county.

Commissioners agreed Tuesday the epidemic of powerful narcotics causes far reaching problems and some leaned toward granting the sheriff’s request.

“We’ve got to make some decision. Are we going to give him some of it?” said Commissioner Ted Schrader. “I’m inclined to give him what he’s asking for.”

County Administrator John Gallagher said commissioners might want assurances the extra personnel will bring a drop in crime.

“If you give him 23 people are you going to see some reduction?” he said.

“Sometimes you need a leap of faith,” Mulieri said.

This time a year ago, the sheriff’s office asked for more than 20 new employees and the commission rejected the request, sparking a protracted budget fight.

Any new employees will be a continuing expense each year, said Mike Nurenbrock, county budget director.

Commissioner Jack Mariano said prescription pill abuse is a statewide problem and the state needs to do more to help all counties.

Other Budget Issues

Commissioners have capped the millage at 6.36 mills for the county’s main operating fund and 1.42 mills for the Municipal Fire Service Taxing Unit. That is the same as the current budget.

That would bring the total of those two major funds for most households in unincorporated Pasco to 7.68 mills.

Schools, cities and the Southwest Florida Water Management District all can add millage to the tax bill. There also are special assessment districts that can add to a tax bill.

A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value after any exemptions are removed.

Commissioners also set Sept. 20 as the public hearing for a proposal to raise county water and sewer rates annually for the next four years.

Utility officials are seeking a rate increase that would boost monthly bills by $5.44 next year for a household using 6,000 gallons of water monthly.

Households using more than 6,000 gallons a month would pay more.

The four-year rate schedule would increase annually until that household’s bill for water and sewer service would go from the current $59.77 to $71.97 a month by 2015.

The utility system considers 6,000 gallons monthly an average customer’s consumption.

The new rates would affect about 99,000 customers getting county water and sewer service.

The proposal does drop the charge for reclaimed water. Households getting the reclaimed water are charged a flat fee of $15.27 a month that would drop to $11.05 by 2015.