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County Approves Pay Raises For All; Sheriff Still Not Happy
September 27, 2017
All county employees will receive a pay raise under a budget approved Tuesday night on a 3-2 vote by the Escambia County Commission — including Sheriff’s deputies — but Sheriff David Morgan say he still plans to appeal his budget to Gov. Rick Scott.
The commission approved a $455.8 million 2017-2018 fiscal year budget, up 4.4 percent from last year. The budget included $3.7 million to provide a 3 percent across the board raise for all permanent employees of the Board of County Commissioners, the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, the Supervisor of Elections and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, including those employees capped at the top of their pay ranges.
The budget approval cane at the end of a long summer in which Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan fought for pay raises and changes in the pay structure in his department in order to retain deputies.
Even with the pay raise approval, Morgan said that he is going to appeal his budget to the to the governor.
“We’re going to Tallahassee,” Morgan said. “We knew that we would have to go. We’ve been at an impasse for a very, very long time so we look forward to putting this before those who think more rationally and I think we’ll prevail in Tallahassee.”
“Thank you for the pay raise. That doesn’t fix the problem. It only worsens the problem and now to get the compression fixed it’s going to cost more. Every year you kick this can down the road the worse it gets,” Morgan said.
Commissioners Doug Underhill and Grover Robinson voted against the budget, presenting their own options that failed to move forward.
Underhill had proposed to fully fund the Sheriff’s request plus user funds from the commissioners’ discretionary budget and about $400,000 from the Pensacola-Escambia Development Commission. Robinson proposed a middle of the road solution with a 2 percent across the board pay raise plus another $1.25 million for the Sheriff to use as desired for pay raises.
“Tonight completes the fifth budget since Commissioner Lumon May and I were elected, and I’m thrilled that it’s the fifth consecutive year of 3 percent raises for all Escambia County employees, including all constitutional officials’ offices and the Sheriff’s office,” Commissioner Steven Barry said. “As a thoughtful public servant, I believe the budget we’ve approved represents a fair and reasonable allocation of the resources entrusted to the board by all of our constituents.”
Comments
34 Responses to “County Approves Pay Raises For All; Sheriff Still Not Happy”
What is everyone gonna say if he gets what he’s asking for from the Governor!? I can see his game plan, you will never get the things that you really need unless you can document and prove that you really need it. Wait and see…
Regarding:
“Y’all had the chance to vote him out and elect a good man in John Johnson and y’all blew it.”
Nah.
Only the Republicans got to vote between Johnson and Morgan. We loyal Democrats were not involved in the primaries.
David for responsible voters and public servants
YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST OR THE LAST SHERIFF OK YOU WILL NEVER BE HAPPY UNTIL YOU ARE NOT SHERIFF THIS JOB IS ALOT MORE THAN YOU THOUGHT AND YOU CANT DO IT SO QUIT AND MOVE THE HELL ON AND THEN YOU WILL FIND YOUR HAPPYNESS OK !!!!!!
Y’all had the chance to vote him out and elect a good man in John Johnson and y’all blew it.
CONTEMPLATING:
“Thank you for the pay raise. That doesn’t fix the problem. It only worsens the problem”
For heaven’s sake. Don’t make the problem WORSE, Take it back!
David for making the Sheriff happy
http://www.northescambia.com/2009/07/tax-watch-issues-report-sheriff-disagrees-with-findings.
Remember this story?
Thank you to all of our Public Servants.
Even the Road Department where apparently 1 of the Indians is restless. (bartender)
@ Kim
“Does this include School employees?”
No Kim, it does Not as the Escambia Board of County Commissioners is an entirely different elected group than is the Escambia County School Board/District.
The two budgets do not overlap nor does the Constitutional Authority of one include the other.
@RU
Remember: make sure you run because they won’t chase in Escambia County
So patrols will be down in the low crime areas who’s up to commit some house/car burglary? ECSO sucks anyways.
@JJ, I’m totally with you on that. Why they keep voting for this man is a mystery to me.
Does this include School employees?
He will get shut down in Tallahassee. He will have to eat crow and a little bit of humble pie.
Pay raises for Deputy’s
There is no doubt that ALL first responders should be paid more especially here in Escambia County. But here is the problem; the Sheriff’s Dept has been given the money that they have asked for “FOR THIS PURPOSE” and they have spent it else where.
What is needed is an audit of the Sheriff’s Dept expenses and line item’s.
The County Commission approves the the Sheriff’s budget BUT cannot direct where the money goes NOR can they demand an accounting of the expenditures.
This is why there has been so much tension between the two Constitutional offices.
The Deputy’s have been short changed while upper management is doing well. The citizens get short changed because the S.O. won’t hire more deputy’s with the money that the money given for that purpose.
Certainly ALL Deputy’s deserve more pay and so do the Corrections Officers that are in harms way every day they go to work. And how about the Fireman that standing on YOUR burning roof or at the top of the ladder truck getting YOU out of your burning home or office.
The vote last night spread the money around across the board instead of targeting only the S.O. Deputy’s WITHOUT raising our taxes.
If we, the citizens, believe that we need to pay more for the VERY dangerous job’s that our Law Enforcement and Fire Fighters do to protect us then we need PUT IT ON THE BALLOT…..
Nobody likes more taxes because the government doesn’t spend it very well BUT…Escambia County does better than most. Years of having to do more with less have taught our budget people to sharpen their pencils.
Escambia County is one of the poorest county’s in Florida and it has one of the largest land area’s so for the Sheriff’s Office to cover this larger area they need more Deputy’s.
AND THE DEPUTY”S NEED BETTER PAY. We don’t retain them because they can go down the road and make more money. BUT again…..the pay for upper management is disproportionate to the over all budget.
There are three places we can DO BETTER…1) Increase Taxes for Safety Officers, 2) Make the Sheriff Office disclose their accounting. 3) Force the Sheriff Office to use the increased funding WHERE THEY SAY THEY NEED IT.
It is all about accountability….we lack it here in Escambia County.
I agree with JJ .. Morgan is a CON man ..now the taxpayer will have to for the jail exploding to .. another fine job ECSO
Sheriff Morgan, this is right where a little gratitude would go a long way. You’re starting to get on a lot of nerves. Shay is correct.
I have no problem with a sheriff who wants a pay scale which gets the citizens the best and brightest employees to protect them. However, across America we have systemic problems with the Criminal Justice System which are not the Sheriffs fault, but he is sadly locked into this revenue draining vicious cycle of using precious taxpayer resources to fill the jail and prison cells with none violent dopes and mopes which are costing taxpayers 50k a year per dope. Meanwhile vicious and incurable violent criminals get back on the street with few funds to monitor them on parole as we are chasing down dopes and mopes who choose to use alcohol and drugs and are addicts who are sick first, and only secondarily a non violent criminal. The solutions have to be decided above the Sheriff’s pay grade, and much of the criticism of him is mean spirited and wrong. We need to stop prohibition and focus on violent criminals.
Commissioner Underhill can be found in the back pocket of this sheriff.
The two are good buddies and it is disgusting that Underhill would rob the rest of our county employees to firm up his special relationship with the sheriff.
Awful Thelbert and Awful Underhill.
Thank GOD for clearer minds on the BoCC and not all “Afraid” of the sheriff.
Best way to do away with two bullies is to tell them NO.
Please Lord protect ALL of our County Employees and the rest of us too.
well people need to remember all of this and quit making him a super star.he love the glamour. deputies fight for their life everyday with these sick people.they could loose their life at any given time.its not just the sheriff wasting money its the whole county.its always been good ole boys for sure.look at road dept thats a joke to.they got supervisers over supervisors .cut down all the chiefs and let the indians do the job.you pay them good and they will work hard for you. bill boards are not cheap to have the sheriffs picture on there.thats a waste.
Morgan himself warned you long ago that (in his words) if he was stupid enough to run for a third term to please NOT be stupid enough to vote for him. Once again the wisdom of Forrest Gump rings true: stupid is as stupid does…
I guess I’m the odd man out cause I like that sheriff Morgan is trying so hard for his employees. Everyone complains because of the lack deputies we have in the county especially in the North end but we can’t keep good deputies if we are not willing to pay them a FAIR salary. They will and do go to other counties where they can make a better living. A lot of our deputies have a second job just to make ends meet. I do not believe the ones at the top should get more money just the ones on the street that put their lives on the line every single time they leave home. Especially in today’s world where they are targets for all the cop haters. Would you do it ? Remember the old saying ” you pay for what you get ” well this is a very good example.
Just my opinion !
The Governor does NOT like David Morgan. He burned that bridge, in his first term. Ric Scott will take him to the dance, but he will leave Morgan on the dance floor! Morgan has picked fights with so many politicians and has earned a reputation among the Florida Sheriffs Association as a “weird” and “comical” Sheriff!
He has hired a “video producer” to follow him and around and “document” his “career” as a Sheriff. How arrogant. He pays that cameraman $50,000 a year. Now, who is more valuable when it comes to keeping your family safe? A cameraman who pushes play or a Deputy who undergoes extensive, and ongoing, training? Such gullible citizens we have!
He gets money for his budget and his MSUB for the property tax! now he wants blood.i want the deputies to get raises. he needs to cut off the top heavy part, supervisorers supervising supervisors. I hope Scott sends him home crying. i would like to kno the real reason Morgan left the Airforce? maybe he cried to much there.
I cannot believe you idiots voted this guy into office, three times!! He’s a con man and you guys were conned!
Is there a website where we can see the pay rates for all County employees?
3 Times Escambia County! You get what you’ve elected and re-elected.
I’m not sure what David Morgan expects, he should be happy with a 3% cost of living. He needs to look within the agency and don’t expect the tax payers to fund his over ranked agency. Go back to the old system where you had Corporals, Sergeant’s, Lt’s, Captains, Majors and one Chief Deputy. Make the rank structure consistent with the size of the agency. It should be 1 Supervisor per 8 Deputies that you supervise. Get a grip David, this is the taxpayers who elected you and you need to be held accountable for your budget. If you can’t manage it then step aside (which were seeing), I know several candidates who can. Remember your campaign platform, the agency was top heavy and you were going to trim it up with all your vast knowledge which has turned out to be a joke. Your making ex-Sheriff Charlie Johnson look like a golden child with your antics and lack of leadership. Its time for a change and your NOT it.
Three percent across the board and compression worsens? How does compression get worse if everyone, including those capped at their salary max, receive the same pay increase? Better check your math Mr. Morgan. Once again Sherriff “Arrogant” hijacks the residents of Escambia County.
Here we go again. Let me get some popcorn, I’ll be right back.
Spending millions and millions of dollars to appease primadonna Thelbert. So much talk, stress, and aggravation when I’ve been telling you all along. All he wants is his pacifier and wooby. That’s it. All you have to do. Just kidding.
Serious talk though. Thelbert, if you keep crying, what’s the babies gonna do ?
He just won’t be satisfied with anything. Guess he thinks he should become rich off tax payers.
Way to go Escambia county voters for putting Morgan back in office. Never have a seen a bigger cry baby then this man. Can he be recalled?
Can you say grand standing? I believe our deputies at the sheriffs office deserve a raise. I however don’t believe the fat cats who are already paid way more than they should be just because they’re Morgan’s cronies deserve anything over what they already make. Having said that, it really doesn’t matter how much the deputies get paid. The s/o won’t keep them because of the disrespect and treatment they receive under Morgan’s watch.
He’s going to Tallahassee to take it up with Governor Scott? Sounds like a real humdinger.