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Sheriff Says He’s Giving Jail Back To County Commission
June 14, 2013
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan has notified that Escambia County Commission that he’s giving them control of the Escambia County Jail as of September 1.
The move came this afternoon as budget negotiations and questions over how to best bring the Escambia County Jail into compliance with a Department of Justice report have continued with no answers. The jail needs funding for new employees to comply with the DOJ findings, and, so far, there’s been no where near a consensus among commissioners as how to fund the improvements.
The commission considered four proposals during a Thursday morning meeting:
- Eliminate the 3-percent cost of living raise for county employees, generating about $2.5 million to hire about 38 detention employees. Reduce the Sheriff’s law enforcement budget to cover the necessary staffing and administrative detention costs. Under the plan, the sheriff would return control of the jail to the county.
- Raise the millage rate. With a .1923 increase, about $2.6 million would fund about 40 additional detention employees and make changes in employee overtime rates. With a .5622 millage rate increase, about $7.6 million would be raised for 40 additional detention employees and allow ECSO employees to be paid for holidays and overtime. Or, with a 1.000 increase on the millage rate, about $13.5 million would be raised. $7.6 million would be used to fund the ECSO needs, and $5.9 million would fund crime prevention and human services needs in the county. The sheriff would retain responsibility for the jail under this proposal.
- Eliminate the 3-percent cost of living raise for county employees, generating about $2.5 million to hire about 38 detention employees, and raise the millage rate .3699 to address holiday and overtime issues at the ECSO. The sheriff would retain responsibility for the jail under this proposal.
- Explore privatizing the jail, which would require paying out about $10 million for accrued leave balances to detention employees. Under the plan, the sheriff would return control of the jail to the county.
The commission voted 4-0, with Commissioner Wilson Robertson absent, not to raise taxes to fund the jail. They also gave direction to Interim County Administrator George Touart to continue his negotiations with Morgan and come up with additional plans.
To read Morgan’s complete letter to the Escambia County Commission, click here.
Comments
51 Responses to “Sheriff Says He’s Giving Jail Back To County Commission”
@ALl
Can’t make it on 45K/year but yet you want to complain about taxes getting raised? Maybe you should learn how to budget. Or here’s a novel idea, don’t spend beyond your means. Making 45K a year and still whining. Pathetic. Quit and let someone who would appreciate making that much have your job.
@open your eyes people
How about open your English book and/or dictionary.
Cost of living raises should be a federally mandated issue. Congress, the state legislature etc. always approve raises and benefits packages for themselves. But when it comes to the working class people, it’s OK to cut out their raises. I’m sick of it. There is too much government and not enough checks and balances to keep them honest.
Is Morgan perfect? No. But he’s the best we’ve had in a long time,
LEO’s & CO’s, thanks for all you do.
One way we could stop the overcrowding and underfunding of the jail is simply stop arresting so many people for minor offenses, specifically ones that involve crimes that involve an individuals civil liberties. Please don’t misconstrue this as an attack on law enforcement who I do have respect for. I know they have a job to do and they are underpaid, and most of them Are reasonable. However, I cannot even count how many times I have seen them make an arrest that was unnecessary, and I have even seen them threaten to arrest the VICTIM of a crime for insisting they do their job. I have seen arrests made for such simple things as possession of drug paraphernalia (a pack of rolling papers) I have seen them arrest people who were simply in an argument that could have been resolved by other means. I have also seen them charge people with higher charges when the offense was actually a lesser charge. I have seen examples of this time after time after time yet I never see this issue addressed when it comes to jail and sheriffs department funding and overcrowding.
Valention you know thats not your money! Right?
Everyone with negative comments and opinions just line right up to take your 12 hour shift as a county jail guard. The federal Dept. of Justice folks do not work within the funding constraints of county jail systems. It’s easy for them to recommend remedies on paper that are impossible as a practical fact. Thank you to all our law enforcement staff who daily walk their beat and perform their jobs to protect and defend us.
For all the loud mouths that are bashing the leos. Are u gonna put ur life on the line every day u clock in, i doubt it, so give us a break, u might need us.
Again, some of the comments are unrelated to the issues at hand. The Deputies in the jail are not allowed to take vehicles home. Facts are facts. the ones that are attacking the E.C.S.O. have no clue what those officers endure on a daily basis. The price of a gallon of milk raises as well as a gallon of gas. now look at those two things over a span of 8 years. Now, with the cost of everything going up, plus the fact that those deputies work a split shift for 12 hours (if you are unsure how a split shift works, it is physically and mentally demanding shift. This is multiplied by the fact that these officers have not got a raise in 7 years. I am surprised that the jail still has deputies that are willing to come to work to guard the inmates that rob, steal, murder and molest. Dave, Jail Deputies are not allowed to moonlight. Sounds as though several need to take a tour of the Jail before their opinions are aired.
Morgan has been responsible for running this jail for the past five years. We never heard a peep from Morgan about jail conditions until the DOJ came in and did an investigation and found a gross lack of leadership. Now Morgan wants us (citizens) to pay more to fix things that should have been fixed long ago.
If Morgan wants to turn the jail back over to the county, he needs to fix the problems his lack of leadership allowed to happen. If he can’t fix the problems, MORGAN NEEDS TO RESIGN!!!!!…..enough said.
But Morgan has SUCKLED off the government teet his whole life, and the county government rarely holds anyone accountable…. so it looks like we will be stuck paying more in taxes and nothing will be fixed.
Thanks sheriff and county commissioners for yet another black eye to the community that neither of you really could care less about…
To all you law enforcement officers and families and friends who are responding to these clueless people posting these comments just stop. They will remain clueless and we will continue to protect them from themselves. As life goes on things change and hopefully get better. It’s not worth the headache of trying to explain. If some of them really wanted to know what’s going on out there,they would volunteer or try to ride along, or maybe even take a jail tour. Otherwise it is not worth the effort in trying to explain yourself to them.
Deputy, get another job to supplement your pay if your not happy- moonlight at chucky chezzes with your county paid car and uniform and weapon.
Ride the ECAT bus to your moonlighting job and stop burning the green and white fuel up .
Never settle for what you thought would last forever..and didnt and will not.
The FBI needs to do a inhouse internal investigation on the jail operations and you will find corruption and waste. Wearing a badge was a good thing until Morgan came on board.
Morgan is a crybaby.
I guess Morgans comptroller was a little off the mark..for the past 5 years.
Not without Morgans knowledge either.
Perhaps if Morgan would have his mommy write the Governor a note he might pick up the phone and call Gene and say” yall boys stop making him hold his breath..I got his mama on my back now.
Morgan never gets enough…yet all other jobs have to do more with less.
What makes Morgan better. A replacement !
@ Deputy…Are there no other vehicles that are more fuel efficient. I use to own a Tahoe 1 year ago and traded it in because it cost to much to fill up. It was $85 for the regular unleaded gas. My spouse drives a vehicle that costs $12 dollars a week for half a tank and we still struggle to make ends meet on more than 45k salary. We don’t have car payments or extra’s, so please don’t tell me I should not mind paying a few cents more for people to continue carelessly spending the money when I need to put food on the table for my family. Groceries are outrageous and we don’t get the extra’s like ice cream & chips, heck can’t afford it. When getting taxed here, there & everywhere it adds up. All I am saying is there is fuel efficient vehicles and I don’t need people saying I should mind paying more tax so the criminals can live better than me.
Jepperman, quit reading the back of cereal boxes — Woody is no longer sheriff – he bailed like a spoiled rat – money dont solve problems– good management does- money covers up bad management
YOU CANNOT REPLACE THE CROWN VICS WITH CROWN VICS SINCE NONE HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED(BUILT) SINCE 2011. Any other suggestions????
Bring sheriff Arpaio over here, the jail would be operating in the black in no time.
Alot of you have issues with the Tahoes that the Sheriff ordered. Do your research. Just because it is a Tahoe does not mean that the gas consumption worse. You have to understand what the Crown Vic Interceptors have loaded in them. They are beefed up beyond belief. Each of these vehicles average about 20mpg after modifications. Plus when you purchase them on a contract you get a very reasonable rate.
More crime=more criminals. On LEO and DET sides there is more to do, and the same amount to do it with. Raises have not been given in numerous years but the county still needs to be defended.
LEO’s go out on a daily basis risking their lives to serve and protect.
How many of you would risk your life for 32k a year.
DET deputies have to guard the scum that are out there beating women, robbing stores, breaking into your vehicles. This job is very tedious. Criminals have too many rights. If they thinkg isn’t a comfortable environment for them when they are in the jail, they scream about their civil rights.
If you think you can do better, apply.
Sheriff’s are elected, if you felt that a different man or woman could do any better, you have the right to vote that person into office. Let the man who you voted into office do his job, but don’t expect him to bend over backwards to please everyone.
Running the Sheriff’s office is like any other business, you need the funds to manage the operation. Find a way to make this happen, I sure as heck wouldn’t mind paying a little bit more to ensure that the operations of my Sheriff’s Office was running smooth.
After all who comes when you need that man who is kicking in your back door. Not Gene.
My God, read a recent editorial about how Pensacola was miffed about pay thousands of $$$ for an ad agency to produce more tourism in Pensacola.
Folks, grab you some milk duds and a large drink and a big ole bucket of popcorn and so to Pensacola and watch the Escambia county Sheriff and commissioners live on the Jerry Springer show.
Shoot… I bet ole Barney wouldnt mind being Morgans side kick..or sorry Morgan…who said ” this aint Mayberry anymore folks”
Its a crying shame how commissioners and a sheriff bring down a town and good officers who cant say a dog gone thing about how they feel.. imagine–driving a green and white–hey–our boss done jumped ship on us and bailed ..like a rat
Dog gone that would be embarrassing for those guys– and the street vender commissioners..need to get a permit and sell hotdogs on the side of the road with clown suits on.
My God, this is like reading a comic book.
No adults left in escambia county
Dont know where to laugh or cry.
Eliminate or reduse all those vacation days. I had a x brother in law sat home for nearly 3 months on vacation and sick time. With a sheriffs vechicle sitting in his yard. Eliminate all from taking autoes home. Reduce contribution from tax payers for healthcare and retirement. The citizens pay for them in taxes that they can’t afford for themselves. Elimate the sheriffs pension. There’s no reason he should get bennifits the rest of his life for being sherriff a few years. Fire Touart he’s a trouble maker thinks he owns the county and commissioners buddy. thats not good for the county. Stop county commissioners pay until they meet the requirements mandated requirements. There would have been enough money in the budget if the county had no wasted all that money on county offices downtown and the EMS building on w street. All these commissioners need replacing and the sherriff also.
TO ALI: I to need to feed my family, I havent had a raise in over 7yrs. I Pay taxes like youand that god awful ecat tax, for a service I dont use. So another 1or 2 cent taxes wont kill hoy or me or anyone else. Crime is at an all time Hugh in the county, and we need more officers in the jail to help. If you Really want to ask why, why dont hoy look at BOCC and ask why they get paid so much, along with their support staff… Why was the crook George Take all your money hired??? How about the trips to help being jobs? What jobs? Why cound’t they raise ecat tickets instead of making hard working, non riding bus people Pay gas taxs? How about those land purchased in the past, we can go on and on. So which is more important to you, safety or saving a penny or two?
Privatizing the jail does not mean turning over ownership.
The BOCC would still have final say on the local level over what the management company does.
Same goes for Bay County, their BOCC is to blame for management problems too, no matter if managed by the county or a company.
For those that want to pay more taxes…feel free to hand your paychecks over to the Sheriff. I personally would like to be able to feed my family, I don’t get handouts! As for the difference in the mileage of the Tahoe and Crown Vic, maybe you can pay the difference in the cost out of your paycheck. Exactly what capabilities do the Tahoe’s provide? The cost of everything has increased and taxes keep increasing, it does make a difference how many more taxes they stick on us. Like I said if you have the ability to offer extra help, then hand your paycheck over. Do not expect the rest of us citizens to provide extra help when we are barely keeping our own families afloat.
I may be wrong but I believe I read Ford no longer builds the Crown Vic police interceptor andbthat was the reason for going to the SUVs.
The last year for the Crown Victoria was model year 2011.
What do you all suggest they drive now?
VW Jetta’s ?
The DOJ after several years of McNesby administration, began their investigation FIVE years ago.
So do not blame Morgan for the DOJ sticking their noses into local rule.
The DOJ report says they are pleased with what Morgan has done so far.
In order to do more of what the DOJ wants done, more money is now needed.
Get your facts right before you blame Morgan and give McNesby a pass.
Way to go Sheriff Morgan! Keep it up and let Valentino and the boys figure it out.
Also, I have seen many posts about Sheriff Morgan replacing many of the old, worn out Ford Crown Victoria’s with those horrible, gas-guzzler Chevy Tahoes. Do some research and you will see the Tahoe and the Crown Vic have just about identical fuel mileage. There is a 1 mile per gallon difference between the two. Plus, look at the capability a deputy has in a Tahoe compared to a car.
The solution in my opinion would be to appoint a director or Chief Jailer to oversee running the day to day operations at the jail. The director would be under the oversight of the commission; Sheriff Morgan would be under the Escambia County Attorney General or equivalent. This move would allow Sheriff Morgan to focus on LE and the director of correctional operations to focus on those areas.
Sheriff Morgan is a great Sheriff in my opinion. You do not see the Department of the Air Force directing NASA, even though their operations have parallels and cross lines, the departments are two separate entities.
The suggested changes mentioned above would also separate Sheriff Morgan and Commissioner Valentino’s lines of interest and conflict.
It would be great if Escambia County (and other counties or States for that matter) could hand over the jail with all its outstanding citizens to the Department of Justice and let them worry about providing the politically correct necessities to the inmates.
Working people can only support a certain number of folks living on handouts. If this balance goes too far in “the taker” direction, the whole economy is going to crash. Just look at big cities like Detroit, Birmingham, etc.
Its pretty simple fix. you need mandatory retirement for those who have been there for too long because they eat up too high a percent of the budget. second until the jail is at 100 percent there will be no more of advancements of any positions that are not jail related. third for ever member that is retired use that money to hire personnel for the jail. Also for every new member that is added to your staff you can start allowing some short not a week but a few days off at a time. Simply you cannot run a department top heavy it has never worked. There is a reason the Military lets people go when there years of service and rank get too high, as skilled as they may be it will always be the E1-E5 that you must have to do the work and in sheriff department it is the same way. The people on top mean well and they have served their community well, we simply cannot afford their services any longer and need new soldiers to take their place who will work for less and can work in the jail or anywhere else they may be needed.
What we really need is another boat ramp. Let’s get real, do part time employees of the county really need 6 figure salaries or full county benefits? The BOCC should never be allowed to vote on their own benefits!! Voters need to wake up, wipe the slate clean and rid ourselves of these “good ole boys” at the next election!!
Not to long ago staffing levels in the jail were a lot more inline with the inmate population. The jail earned accreditation every year. and most shifts in the jail worked short handed due to senior Deputies with excessive leave time needing to take off. (A use your leave time or loose it thing). Now the jail is having issues earning accreditation and staffing levels are low. What ever happened to vicarious liability? Isn’t the Sheriff and his staff in charge of what happens in the jail? Staffing levels started falling off about 4 years ago! Some retired, some left due to the backward polices and politics that this admin. has created! The Sheriffs office had the budget and couldn’t maintain staffing levels then. So even if they get the increased budget, How are they going to increase staffing when they can’t maintain what they have?
I say give all the Law enforcement employees wooden spoons. My mom has one, and it sure does a fine job at attitude adjustment! Just saying the less bad people in jail the less money and personnel needed to care for them. Sheriff Morgan you are doing a fine job with what you were given. If the rules state that you need x amount of employees per x amount of inmates..then how could that possibley be your fault…someone has to fund those extra bodies. Tax increases would help…though many people are against it…until something happens to them and they wonder where the ECSO is, all of a sudden an extra $40 dollars a year don’t sound too bad.
So we all support Morgan but don’t want to pay more taxes? This is the problem with this county and country we want it all but don’t want to pay for it.
Maybe if law enforcement wasn’t driving around in these gas guzzling SUV’s there would be more money to spare. What was the need for such vehicles in the 1st place, especially with gas as high as it is, and the cost of those vehicles. Don’t trust the county commissioners either, they will just throw another tax onto the working class…pay for this & pay for that, but don’t worry that you can’t feed or house your own family because you are taxed to death. Fed up with all of them!!!!
Ask yourself this. Why is the Sheriffs office so short staffed on both the jail side and the law enforcement side? Will more money solve this issue? The local law enforcement and detention training academy have classes with a near perfect graduate rate.Most qualified graduates go to other agencies because they know or have heard of the work environment at Escambia. Better pay else where is also a selling point. What a lot of the public is unaware of is that the Sheriff has created an top heavy administration, and even created new positions in the rank and file. Each time he promoted someone up the chain of command it would create a absence at the shift level. sometimes those holes were filled and sometimes not. also promotions mean an increase in pay. and in some cases a substantial increase. This is not a money issue it is a management issue! How many Commanders, Kernels, and 1st lieutenants are really needed? How many qualified candidates could be hired with the wasted funds it takes to fill the above positions? I think the County commissioners are on the right track. Like any job. If you are good at what you do and rate a raise. in most cases you’ll get one.
look at where Escambia is now. The crime rate, the cases that are solved, the overall environment at the S.O. Sheriff . How do you think you earned an increase in budget? There are plenty of qualified applicants out there, they just don’t want to be a part of what the Sheriffs office has become! ,
Old Chief… Did you know that our ECSO have not gotten a raise in several years?
Jail was in a mess when Morgan got it, and I do not blame the former administration either- DoJ require x amount of staff per inmates…NO Raise…Health cost have increased, gas cost have increased, all while revenues have decreased… SO, YOU HAVE THE ANSWER?
A Sheriff that does not have control of his own Jail ?? What a disaster. Wonder if Pensacola Police will stop sending inmates to the county jail now ? I could have saved Sheriff Morgan some money. Move your cars to higher ground when it rains hard and not let them flood.
http://www.northescambia.com/2012/06/escambia-jail-floods-left-with-no-power
And this is where the door opens to a Privately owned, but publicly paid for with our tax dollars and driven by profit motivated owners and share holder’s taking over the jail, when the BoCC decides they are in way over their head, just like this has probably been planned in mirroring jail take overs by private contractors.
Welcome to the Corporatist Plutocracy of America.
The figure 7.6 million was used as the line for the Sheriff to maintain control of the jail. Even if it was closer to 4 million it sounds like it will be impossible to find without a tax increase.
Whoever is responsible for the jail is about to make a serious budget increase there.
Whatever you do…don’t disagree with the Sheriff or you
Will be in the slammer!!!!
Good for you, Sheriff Morgan.
Politicians are supposed to run for office because of their desire to be public servants. NOT to line their own pockets. I have had it with politics. Every time a true public servant is elected and does something right, they are discredited. Or, so it seems to me. I do not even see any point in voting anymore. It does no good. It is corruption as usual.
Glad to have a Sheriff with a backbone.
Makes me happy.
Sheriff Morgan is one smart cookie. No wonder he can run circles around the good old boys.
Good for you, Sheriff Morgan.
Politicians are supposed to run for office because of their desire to be public servants. NOT to line their own pockets. I have had it with politics. Every time a true public servant is elected and does something right, they are discredited. Or, so it seems to me. I do not even see any point in voting anymore. It does no good. It is corruption as usual.
Glad to have a Sheriff with a backbone.
Maybe they can get rid of the Good Ol Boy System. It is still there and always has been. The ranking of the officers makes no sense at all. 1st LT’s, LT’s, and on down. It is like making a rank for a made up position. Either way people will either jump ship or suck it up and keep going. It is a tough job for the little pay they do get.
Use the ecat funding, nobody rides it and u commissioners have raised the gas tax starting in January to way over what is needed, based on current gas usuage. The working class are tired of our taxes being raised for handouts, at least use them for our safety (jail)
Going gets tough and the (not so) tough get going!!!!
This is ridiculous…
…Morgan has had six years to fix this problem
…DOJ comes in and does a real inspection and finds the jail is seriously lacking leadership.
….Morgan’s first reaction, ask for more money.
….Money is denied, Lets face it, money is tight. (Morgan takes a loss)
….Morgan goes on the offensive trying to transfer blame to a County Commissioner. (another fight lost)
….Morgan tucks his tail between his legs and pouts,,,
….Morgan tries to take his football and go home by saying he will no longer be responsible for the jail that he has been the leader of for the past six years.
….Character revealed IMO!
Story to be continued I guess….
Here is a idea Gene.Donate part of your overpaid salary to help fund the jail.Let the SHERIFF do his job !!!!!!!!
Can you say lawsuits and County pays ! Private firms do not have any standards to maintain in the operation of the jail. County Commissioners should talk with Bay County and see what happened when they went private. The citizens need to support the Sheriff, email the Commissioners and stand firm on this. The private companies will cost you more taxpayer money in the long run. Vote them out in the next election. You have to pay for professional officers and standards.
Ha! I’m with Sheriff Morgan on this one. If you are going to bad mouth my outfit, then give me what I need to do my job properly. If you don’t want to do that or even allow me to speak, then YOU DO IT!
The jail is one of those thankless jobs that no one wants to do. At least the Sheriff was trying to do it, even against the odds. Figure it out Gene, or give him what he needs!
Outstanding!
Gene would not even let Sheriff Morgan speak at the meeting today. Let them figure out how to do it…. Maybe we can put the prisoners on all the ECat busses?
This should be interesting.
Now if the inmates’ Constitutional rights continue to be violated, it will be the Commissioners who would be sent to jail, or prison.
Give them the jail to send them to jail?
Again, Boys will be Boys.
Both sides are setting themselves for replacement in the next election.
In my world it is, “Just Do Your Job”.
Solve the problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I think that the commissioners should put the money where their mouth is and volunteer at the jail for a couple of months to see what these law enforcement officers go through everyday..day in and day out….Great leaders don’t just fall into delegating, but they need to live it from the inside…make it real.. not just numbers on a piece of paper…Do that, and you’ve got my vote!!