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Commission Approves $356 Million Budget, Denies Request To Save Six Sheriff’s Office Jobs
September 26, 2012
The Escambia County Commission approved a $356 million fiscal year 2012-2013 budget Tuesday night after denying last minute pleas from the Sheriff’s Office and other agencies.
As the final vote approached on the budget, the commission heard a request from Escambia County Chief Deputy Larry Aiken for an additional $353,000 in funding. Without the money, Aiken said, the department would be forced to cut six positions. The money was to be above and beyond the sheriff’s $75.8 million budget, unchanged from this year.
The commission denied the requested on a 2-3 vote, with Commissioners Grover Robinson, Marie Young and Gene Valentino against the request.
The commission also shot down a request from Bette Hooton, president of the Friends of the Library, to restore funds for the West Florida Library System. [Read more about the library funding here.]
With a 3-2 vote, the commission voted to move $1.2 million in unexpected savings from Medicaid payment adjustments into a reserve account rather than funding last minute requests. Robinson and Wilson Robertson voted against the reserve fund move.
Comments
14 Responses to “Commission Approves $356 Million Budget, Denies Request To Save Six Sheriff’s Office Jobs”
Good job. I’m glad we are starting to save some money
If Sheriff Morgan had opted for cars instead of $50,000.00 + SUVs as patrol vehicles, there would have been plenty of money for keeping these extra officers.
BTW, a lot of the money the sherif’s office spends comes from drug busts…ie: those mardi gras beads, etc., look into the facts before you decide where the waste is…look at the County Commissioner’s salaries, for example, and the raises they gave themselves.
Deputies are allowed lunch breaks, dinner breaks, and too often I have seen them leave their lunch or dinner to go to the scene of an accident or crime. Give them a break! When you need them you will be glad they are there, so stop blaming them when you have no idea what they are doing or whether they are exchanging information.
Aiken could donate some of his $60,000 per year raise that your re-elected sheriff gave to him out of the counties taxpayer dollars. Oooops, that wasn’t supposed to be public was it???????? And how many thousands were lost when all those nice county vehicles got flooded?????? I better shut up……..
The bottom line is, a massive centralized government is wrong.
Collectivism is wrong!
I should be able to keep most ofmy money after working 50 hours a week.
Wipe government out to a small size.
Your kids will be paying our debt. What a shame!
@concerned for north escambia: deputies “yucking it up” in parking lots or restaurant pkng lots…did you go ask what they were talking about…my guess is no…maybe they were on their way to seve a warrant or do some surveillance on a business that has been vandalized or trying to set up a perimeter for a bad guy on the loose…so engage your brain prior to engaging your fingers…”ever so long to get to you”…once agin when I worked at the SO it was far and few between when they had a complete shift on the road…somebody was off for leave or had to take off because they had too much leave…also there about the same number of deputies on the road 10yrs ago…so maybe your wait time is due to the fact that they are busy arresting somebody else…read the pnj (not) or N Escambia (yes)…and all you see is felony after felony…ever wonder why…see above statement…I could go on and on…and I will when I return…
Just me T, You said it well and I agree 100%
mcar
Things change when we stop voting against our best interest.
Just Me T – You’re so right. How many times have we passed patrol cars sitting side by side jacking their jaws, or parked in some restaurant parking lot talking, but when one is needed it takes ever so long to get to you. I also agree that the county commissoners are paid way too much. Most have retired from jobs, and should be volunteering or at least work part-time for the commission. Like you said, they are sitting on their back sides doing nothing most of the time. I know you can never get anything done when you need it, but just let another area need their help, I believe they would bend over backwards to get it done. YET, YOU’RE RIGHT, they promise, promise, promise, but never seem to follow through.
Five Deputies shot in the last four years insurance has gone up Rick Scott takes our more money from our retirement and still no raise unless your secretary or related to a higher up at the office!!! No wonder crime is out of control.
Well just me T I couldn’t haver said it better way to go. And to all of our hero out their we say THANK YOU.
I vote for a cut in the pay for our County Commissioners. Esc. Co. EMS, Paramedics and EMT’s have not had a raise in pay in over 6 Years. Again this year a raise in pay was once again denied. The very people that are out on the streets day and night, rain or shine helping save lives of your families and friends can not get a raise. But we have County Commissioners that are making $100,000.00 or more a year holding down a chair. They sit in an office making decisions that 95% of the time benefit only there agendas and pad there own bank accounts. I say to you citizens of Escambia county, Americans. It is time we take control of our Governments. I say we cut the pay of these fat bellied, egotistical Rich Politicians in our local, State, and National Governments. They care not if you have food on your table. They care not if your bills are paid. All they care about is how meany of your votes they will be able to get when they lie to you and lead you on around election time. They will shovel pure BS and visions of grandeur, better times to come, promises they will not keep nor want to keep if reelected for another term. If our beloved Politicians truly cared about the citizens they serve, then lets see them all cut there own pay. Put that money back in the coffers. Show those who put there life on the line every single day that your Politicians care. Let them show the average Joe that they care.
In a ideal world the right thing would happen. But, in fact the Politicians and most of the citizens who read this will chuckle and laugh. Jokes will be made and fingers pointed about failed grammar and spelling mistakes, and ideas of times long past. And in the end the rich will continue to get richer and the poor get poorer. Until a time in the not to distant future when hunger, and the inability to provide for your family due to a failed government will drive this country to the brink of a 2nd civil war. Action must be taken now to change this country’s path so our sons and daughters can grow up in a brighter tomorrow.
A lot of political payback promotions have been happening at the sheriff’s office over the past year from $6K plus pay increases for secretaries to handing out general’s stars and Kentucky Kernel’s eagles in a bead tossing contest at Marti Gras. So not giving more money to the sheriff is a good call by the county commission.