County Responds To Sheriff David Morgan’s Budget Appeal

October 25, 2017

The Escambia County Commission has filed a response to Sheriff David Morgan’s appeal of his budget to the Governor’s Office.

The entire response is 29 pages long (click here for pdf) plus 564 pages of exhibits in three parts. (click here, here and here).

The county approved a final budget of $455,840,072, with $3,744,070.41 set aside to fund a three percent raise for all employees. That included $1,246,031 for the Sheriff’s Office to use for pay raises.

Of the total final budget, the board adopted a budget for the Sheriff’s Office that totaled $56,739,867, representing a voluntary reduction in his original budget request for court security no longer provided and acknowledging his request for what Morgan referred to as a 3% “merit increase” for all employees, according to the county response.  The budget excluded an allocation to fund six new cadet positions and did not fully fund his requested per employee health insurance contribution.

The county said the sheriff’s budget was increased by 2.35 percent over the last fiscal year and was the fifth consecutive year it was increased.

In his petition, Morgan cited three primary objections to his budget as adopted by the county commission: denial of the Sheriff;s request for $2,083,523.81 to fund the “Sheriffs Retention/Compression Plan- Phase I”, denial of the Sheriff’s request for $319,154.28 to fund six new cadet positions and (3) denial of the Sheriff’ss request for an additional $400 per employee to fund health insurance benefits.

The county maintains they rejected Morgan’s plan based upon logic and reason. The Board said only 62 percent of the Sheriff’s personnel are sworn deputies; leaving almost 40 percent of the workforce as administrative staff. By comparison, the sheriffs of Leon County and Santa Rosa County employ 78 percent  and 71 percent as sworn deputies respectively.

“The Sheriff currently employs more administrative staff in his Public Information Office than in Robbery/Homicide; more in Human Resources than in Major Crimes; more in Finance than in Special Victims,” the county’s response stated. “With almost half the workforce performing administrative functions, the Sheriff retains ample time and resources to produce promotional videos.”

Commissioner also questioned how much of the Sheriff’s $2 million plan to retain deputies would actually go to deputies versus administrative personnel.

The sheriff has steadily received budget increases for personnel expenditures, but he’s made no attempt to give deputies more money by shifting funds in his budget, the county stated.

The county also cited the sheriff’s use of the Law Enforcement Trust Fund (LETF). The money comes from criminal seizures and is supposed to be used to prevent crime.

The response states, “Historically, a very small percentage of the LETF was used for promotional materials or event sponsorships. However, over the last three years, the vast majority of the LETF has been utilized by the Sheriff for promotional materials or events. From 2008-2017, the Sheriff’s LETF expenditures for promotional materials and events rose from 4% to 96% with notable increases in 2012 and 2016, which were election years.”

According to the county, Sheriff Morgan has spent almost $1.5 million over the past three years on promotional materials and events instead.

Commissioners say those include:

  • American Heart Association – The sheriff contributed $5,000 for eight people to attend the “Dance Your Heart Out” gala ball.
  • ARC Gateway – The sheriff contributed $20,000 for 20 people to attend their “Wreaths of Joy” Gala.
  • Council on Aging- The sheriff contributed $10,000 for 20 tickets to attend the “Rat Pack Reunion Ball” and dinner, at which the sheriff was a member of the featured Rat Pack.
  • Greater Pensacola Junior Golf Association – The sheriff contributed $5,000 for eight people to attend a banquet.
  • Hadji Temple Association – The sheriff contributed $5,000 for eight people to participate in the “Hadji Shrine” annual golf tournament.
  • Independence for the Blind – The sheriff contributed $2,500 for eight people to attend the annual “Eye Ball”.
  • King Richard Foundation – The sheriff contributed $1,000 for 20 people to attend the “Beauty By the Bay” fashion show and dinner event.
  • Panhandle Charitable Open – The sheriff contributed $20,000 for 10 people to attend the “Fore Charity Tee-Off Par-Tee” event.
  • Pensacola Little Theater – The sheriff contributed $2,500 for 20 people to attend their annual gala.
  • Pensacola Opera – The sheriff contributed $5,000 for 10 people to attend the annual “Jukebox Gala” event.
  • Studer Community Institute – The sheriff contributed $5,000 for a sponsorship package for eight people to attend the “Light Up Learning” dinner event.
  • Teen Challenge – The sheriff contributed $2,000 for eight people to participate in a golf tournament.
  • Veterans’ Memorial Park Foundation – The sheriff donated $5,000 to the foundation.
  • WSRE Public Television – The sheriff contributed $2,500 for eight people to attend the “Milestones and Memories” annual event.

“While these are worthwhile charities, the County is charged with accounting for every penny of taxpayer dollars. Citizens have the right to expect that their tax dollars will be spent in a manner that supports the charge of the public office those dollars are funding. The Sheriff’s questionable use of LETF dollars does not support the Sheriff’s core mission of law enforcement and crime prevention activities, and belies the Sheriff’s claim that he does not have the financial resources to adequately address personnel issues or otherwise fulfill his core mission,” the county said.

The county’s response also questioned Morgan’s cutbacks in funds for school resource officers.

“Prior to filing this appeal, the Sheriff publicly announced a drastic and unilateral reduction in school resource officers, citing ‘budgetary concerns’. His willingness to remove officers from their post of protecting school children is difficult to justify when one considers the almost $1 ,500,000 the Sheriff has spent over the past three years on promotional activities and payments to outside agencies that have little or no relation to law enforcement or crime prevention.”

“In addition, while LETF funds are specifically authorized for school resource  officers, the Sheriff has chosen not to utilize the LETF for this purpose during any of the last five years. Instead, the Sheriff has funded school resource officers from his personnel budget. The Sheriff recently announced to the School Board that he no longer had the financial resources to provide this service ostensibly due to the County’s failure to meet his budget request. Had the Sheriff funded the school resource officers from the LETF, he would have more funds available in his personnel budget to address retention and attrition concerns and implement his Pay Plan. The Sheriff knew or should have known he could utilize LETF funds for school resource officers, but he chose not to do so. This was a seemingly illogical decision at best.”

The county also said Morgan’s claims that the county refused to negotiate  are a “blatant misrepresentation of facts”, and the county was extremely critical of Morgan’s public campaign — including advertisements and billboards — in an effort to build public support for his requests.

“After submitting his budget request, the Sheriff commenced a months-long media campaign to garner public support for his requested budget, to include advertising on television networks, billboards, radio stations, and websites such as YouTube. Examples of these media spots included a commercial that aired on the ABC television affiliate and other networks that referenced deputies shot in the line of duty and asked citizens to call their commissioners to request support for his budget, with the commercial showing the pictures and office phone numbers of each commissioner. The Sheriff also ran a 27-minute YouTube video explaining his budget request. In this promotional campaign, the Sheriff touted he would take his budget to the Governor’s Office if he were not granted what he requested,” the document states. “…Despite these subversive tactics, the Board attempted in good faith to determine the Sheriff’s budgetary needs and how they could be balanced with the County’s other budgetary requirements and obligations.”

After a yet to be scheduled hearing by the governor’s office, a recommendation will be made to the Florida Administrative Commission. The commission will then make a recommendation within 30 days.

Comments

13 Responses to “County Responds To Sheriff David Morgan’s Budget Appeal”

  1. Claire on October 25th, 2017 5:55 pm

    Morgan’s clone and chosen successor to run the ECSO is current Chief Deputy Chip Simmons. All of Morgan’s mismanagers should be held equally responsible and be remembered when seeking your vote come election time.

    Spending taxpayer dollars to play golf and to attend various galas and balls. SMH

    If that’s not criminal, it should be!

  2. Anne on October 25th, 2017 4:59 pm

    Have been hearing that “One of the Commissioners exited the meeting” of this response.
    If that Commissioner is the one some have mentioned perhaps the self-excusing was in order to not have some questions asked that could be very “trying” to answer.

    Gov. Scott, Please do the right thing and Follow-the-Money.
    Drug and property seizure moneys are OUR Taxpayer Monies that could have been much better used to Support OUR SWORN Law Enforcement Officers.

    Sad our local LEO on the streets have to put up with Morgans shenanigans, smoke and mirrors and whatever “Cult” or batch of “Ninjas” he can come up with to try and explain away his own “Witchcraft”.
    LORD Watch over the Deputies on the streets and all our First Responders. .

  3. Former Resident on October 25th, 2017 4:38 pm

    The chickens are coming home and looking for a place to roost Sheriff Arrogant. What a colossal example of mismanagement.

  4. Retired LEO on October 25th, 2017 2:56 pm

    Interesting that a large portion of these payments were made around elections. Let’s just call it what it is, buying support. I hope that he will be investigated and held accountable for all of his actions. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

  5. Silent Majority on October 25th, 2017 1:15 pm

    Perfect. Yes read and study the 30 page report. As a board, minus one they collectively stated what needed to be said.

    Now if they will look at their own budget as closely.

    The citizens and the deputies are the ones who have suffered

    Under NEW administration perhaps the pendulum can begin to swing the other way.

  6. County Resident on October 25th, 2017 12:31 pm

    Really Esc. Co. LEO? I hope you wrote that in jest. This money was used to buy tickets to balls and dances. I would like to know who received the tickets. Not only that, the LETF is not meant to be used for any good cause, it is intended for programs and activity that is related to law Enforcement. Yes, law enforcement has taken a hit as of late but the actions of the Sheriff only hurt not help. The best way to help law enforcement is for a good job to be done and let the good citizens of this county defend them. I know many who will gladly do this, but the Sheriff is not doing a good job.

  7. Esc co leo on October 25th, 2017 11:15 am

    I can’t believe these comments about “sketchy” use of LET MONEY (drug seizures). The Sheriff took DRUG MONEY and put it to good use in the community. American Heart Association? Council on aging? Charities for the blind? Are you seriously complaining about this?

    And as for billboards… have you seen how much law enforcement gets attacked in media and social media? The Sheriff is trying to create a more positive image of law enforcement by connecting with people the way they receive information… social media. He is trying to portray the department as being here to help.

    Let drug money go to these good causes. Pay us from the normal fund like every other county does.

  8. kgore on October 25th, 2017 8:39 am

    The reduction of school resource officers should never have been done. That will most likely put the most negative shadow on Morgan.

  9. Gene on October 25th, 2017 8:38 am

    Good Article… I would like to see the previous administration % Overhead that he inherited? (Was there a Change?)

  10. Molino resident on October 25th, 2017 8:13 am

    Well written article. Easy to follow this story. Glad to see the County Commissioner’s looking after our tax dollars. All the billboards with the Sheriff’s picture on them are absolutely ridiculous. In my 50 plus years, I have never seen such blatant imperialism from the Sheriff’s Department.

    God Bless all our Law Enforcement Officers, EMT’s and Firefighters.

  11. Stephen on October 25th, 2017 7:35 am

    I think the Commission won this one. The information about how much admin staff he has compared to other counties is astonishing. That alone would make it an easy decision to rule in favor of the commission.

  12. tap on October 25th, 2017 5:45 am

    thats why tax is so much for them to have FUN

  13. Bob C. on October 25th, 2017 5:19 am

    FINALLY, Mr. Morgan will be called to task and explain his helter-skelter use of the Public Taxpayer’s Monies.
    The BoCC shares much of the responsibility as it allowed him free rein over the Law Enforcement Trust Funds ( Drug Money ).
    PLEASE read this article carefully and especially the links which very well explain the sketchy use of monies that could have gone toward Deputy Pay and also the Top Heavy Administrative and his Public Relations costs to US the taxpayers to promote his image.
    AUDIT, AUDIT, AUDIT, Please.
    GOD Bless and Protect OUR Sworn Patrol Deputies YOU are our line of protection and we need YOU.
    We need a sheriff who is Honest with his Deputies and the Public and this seems to not be the case.
    READ, READ, READ Please.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News