Morgan Won’t Deal On Budget, Will Go To State If BOCC Won’t Provide

April 23, 2009

The Escambia County Commission wants Sheriff David Morgan to cut another $4 million from his budget before it is submitted to the BOCC for approval in a few days, but the sheriff says he has cut all that he intends to cut. And if the commission does not approve his budget, Morgan says he is taking it to the governor.

“What you see is what you get,” Morgan said of his $4 million in cuts. “I have to stand before the public and defend what we do.”

Cutting more from his budget would impact public safety, the sheriff said, and that’s a move he is not willing to make.

morgan10.jpgIf the Escambia Commission will not approve his $78 million budget, Morgan say he will, as the law allows him to do, take the budget to the state to force the county to commit the funding he needs. The commission wants Morgan to cut $2.5 million more, for a total of $6.5 million.

Morgan’s budget, the largest of any department in the county, includes about $33 million for the county jail. He said the sheriff’s department is not required to operate the jail; providing for a jail is actually a constitutional requirement of the county commission.

“I believe that corrections is a law enforcement function that should remain with the sheriff,” Morgan said. “But that is what makes my budget the larges in the county.

Morgan questioned the commission’s motives for wanting him to cut more funds, when, he said, he is already operating a department more efficiently than the BOCC operates.

“I have one attorney; the BOCC has five,” Morgan said. “I have seven people in human resources; the BOCC has 23 for about the same number of employees.”

“I’ll stack up lean and mean against anyone in Escambia County government,” the sheriff said of his budget.

He has achieved his $4 million in cuts through several steps. He plans to eliminate the jail’s health services contract with an outside firm, providing jail health services in house for a $1.8 million savings. He recently grounded the ESCO’s helicopter unit for an $800,00 a year savings.

The elimination of the air unit has led to some complaints, he said.  Other departments and counties that made use of the helicopter are also left without any type of air support after the cost-cutting grounding of the unit.

“But I didn’t have anyone pony up and write me a check like I asked for,” Morgan said.

Morgan’s proposed budget is due to the Escambia County Commission by May 1.

The sheriff’s comments were delivered to the Tri-Cities Rotary Club Wednesday afternoon. Morgan spoke to the club as the invited guest of NorthEscambia.com.

Pictured: Escambia Sheriff David Morgan addressing the Tri-Cities Rotary Club Wednesday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

5 Responses to “Morgan Won’t Deal On Budget, Will Go To State If BOCC Won’t Provide”

  1. passport on April 24th, 2009 1:57 pm

    It appears the BOCC wants the cuts to come from everywhere except their own budget.
    If these overpaid commissioners would cut back on their own frivolous expenditures, the budget covering our safety and protection wouldn’t even be at risk. There would be plenty of money for the essential things. A good friend once said, “If it doesn’t keep you warm, fed, safe, and dry, you don’t need it.”

  2. Surprised on April 24th, 2009 9:53 am

    If I rember correctly, Mr. Morgan had a lot to say about how the former Sheriff was wasting so much money. How he could do so much better with much less. Well he did cut 4 million from his budget, but there has to be more cuts there when every Department in the county is looking at cutbacks and layoffs. Fighting with the commission only makes him look bad and loose support.

  3. Jay on April 23rd, 2009 9:38 am

    Mikey

    You’re saying that the Tax Collector, Property Appraiser and Clerk of the Court do not have their own HR’s or lawyers?

    It doesn’t look like neither Janet Holley’s nor Ernie Magaha’s HR is with the BOCC.

    From the Tax Collectors website:

    Mailing Address:
    Attn: Human Resources
    Escambia County Tax Collector
    P. O. Box 1312
    Pensacola, FL 32591
    Fax: (850) 434-2733

    From the Clerk of the Court’s website:

    Honorable Ernie Lee Magaha, Clerk
    Attn: Human Resources
    P.O. Box 333
    Pensacola, FL 32591-0333

  4. Bobby on April 23rd, 2009 8:55 am

    No bull just the facts and sticking to his gun’s. It’s about time someone stood up instead of just going along with the crowd and hurting the public. After all it is our money they are spending and since he is doing what he said he will do I think they should be happy with the cut’s he’s already made.

  5. Mikey on April 23rd, 2009 6:33 am

    Why not use the BOCCs Legal Team and Human Resource department? The other elected officials do.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News