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It's Time For New Leadership At Top Of Pasco Sheriff's Office

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 8, 2008

When state-mandated property-tax cuts forced Pasco County to cut spending by $16 million last summer, Sheriff Bob White came in asking for a budget increase of $11 million.

When commissioners asked that he make some cuts, White refused and told them to do it.

Ironically, the incumbent sheriff adopted this can't-cut-it posture after stumping for the constitutional amendment that forced Pasco and other local governments to make do with less.

It wasn't surprising to see such failure in leadership from the two-term sheriff. White's fiscally irresponsible behavior has pretty much been the norm the last four years, a primary reason why change is needed at the top of the Pasco Sheriff's Office.

White, a 58-year-old Trinity resident who unseated Lee Cannon in 2000, faces former sheriff's lieutenant Robert Sullivan in the Republican primary. Two Democrats, Kim Bogart and Jeff Deremer, meet in another primary, and Bobby Kinzy will be on the November ballot with no party affiliation.

White claims his office, which has an $86 million budget this year, is underfunded. Yet he has obtained nearly every dollar sought during his first five years in office, including money for substantial salary increases in 2004 and 2005.

This election year White submitted a more reasonable request, slicing $1.1 million from his budget and freezing salaries.

Still, you can hardly call this Republican a fiscal conservative.

Consider, White had a wasteful policy of allowing employees, including nonemergency and civilian workers, to drive agency vehicles home and use them for personal business. He only put the brakes on this practice in April, after his opponent, Sullivan, publicly exposed the practice. Sullivan calculated the annual cost at $290,000.

Worse, White rolled over for the police union this summer. He agreed to provide health insurance to employees who retire with at least 30 years of service until they qualify for Medicare. In other words, an officer who retires at 50 will get free health insurance for 15 years at taxpayer expense. It was a terrible precedent to set, no matter that it helped grease the wheels of his re-election.

The better Republican candidate is Sullivan, a former lieutenant commander under White's command. Although Sullivan, a former union member, has been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, he believes a union won't be needed if he is elected.

Sullivan, 46, is seeking his first elected position, but he's smart and has the supervisory and administrative experience needed to lead the agency.

He spent 26 years at the Pasco Sheriff's Office before stepping down last fall. He worked his way through the ranks before becoming commander of the narcotics, vice and intelligence unit in the late 1990s. His career track has been impressive and gives him an intimate knowledge of the sheriff's office - at all levels. At one time he supervised more than 85 employees and managed a $2 million budget. He would do a much better job of budgeting and working with commissioners than White.

Sullivan has one negative: his residency. He lives in Brooksville - in Hernando County. However, his home is for sale and he pledges to follow the law and move to Pasco if elected.

The Tribune endorses Robert J. Sullivan in the Republican primary for Pasco County sheriff.

Democratic Primary

Kim Bogart is a former Pasco Sheriff's Office captain who now works as a law enforcement and corrections accreditation consultant.

Jeff Deremer is a senior parole and probation officer for the state Department of Corrections.

Both live in New Port Richey and are seeking public office for the first time.

Deremer, 38, has spent his career working for DOC, monitoring probationers, tracking fugitives and working closely with the sheriff's office on major crimes. He graduated from Florida State University with a degree in criminology in 1992.

While personable and clearly eager to serve the community, Deremer lacks the budgetary, administrative and supervisory experience essential for a sheriff.

Bogart, 56, who has a master's degree in business administration from Saint Leo University, has much-needed experience and would bring a unique perspective to the office.

A former Tampa police officer, Bogart worked 16 years for the Pasco Sheriff's Office before being let go when White was elected. He has since evaluated the operations and management of numerous law enforcement agencies and jail systems throughout the state. He would be able to put that extensive experience to use in bolstering law enforcement operations in Pasco.

The Tribune endorses Kim Bogart in the Democratic primary for Pasco County sheriff.

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