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Hillsborough sheriff's budget request reflects cost-cutting efforts

News Channel 8 file photo by PETER MASA

Gee's budget submission doesn't contain requests for new deputies.

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 29, 2009

Updated: 04/29/2009 03:24 pm

TAMPA - Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee submitted a $370 million budget request for the 2010 fiscal year in a letter today to county commissioners.

The budget for the current fiscal year is about $377 million.

As in the 2008 and 2009 fiscal years, Gee wrote in today's letter, his budget submission doesn't contain requests for new deputies on the street, in the jails or in the courthouse. He also instituted a hiring freeze for vacant civilian positions that aren't deemed critical.

Gee projects his total budget request for the 2011 fiscal year to be about $379 million.

The sheriff's office consumes about 10 percent of the county's $3.8 billion budget. The county is facing a budget shortfall of about $110 million.

"In the end, I think this budget is all going to be about priorities, and the people are going to have the let commissioners know what their priorities are," he told the Tribune today.

Gee said staffing for the sheriff's office is 1.67 deputies for every 1,000 Hillsborough County residents. The national average is 2.7 deputies per 1,000 residents, he wrote. He said Tampa police have 2.86 officers per 1,000 residents.

Despite the lack of additional deputies, the sheriff's office reported a drop in the crime rate.

A unified crime report compares seven categories of crime: murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault and the property crimes of burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. In Tampa, Gee wrote, there were about 53 such crimes per 1,000 residents in 2008 compared with 59 in 2007 and 68 in 2006. In the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction, he wrote, there were about 42 such crimes per 1,000 residents in 2008 compared with 43 in 2007 and 45 in 2006.

"There's very few crime rates like that in the state of Florida," Gee said. "It is low. It's a good rate. And we've been very fortunate. There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes."

In the letter, Gee also outlined some cost-cutting measures taken in the 2008 fiscal year.

The measures will allow Gee to return about $35 million to the county, he wrote. They include closing the work-release center in May, which will save about $5 million; renegotiating the inmate medical services contract, which will save between $3 million and $4 million; and reducing overtime for detention personnel, which will save about $3 million.

"I know your budgetary deliberations this year will be particularly challenging and will require strong collaboration between all of Hillsborough County's elected leadership," he wrote. "No matter what the results of your budgetary processes are, the HCSO will continue to work to provide the highest standards of public safety possible to the citizens of Hillsborough County.

"However, if further budget buts are required of the HCSO, I hope you will join me in being frank with the public in describing the extensive cost-saving actions my office has taken already to conserve funds, and in explaining that any additional cuts must, at some point, diminish the services that can be provided."

On Tuesday, Gee told his employees that there will be no annual pay raises. The announcement comes as government officials are proposing reduced salaries, unpaid furlough days and layoffs – measures the sheriff said he is not willing to do.

In a memo sent to employees Tuesday, Gee wrote that many of his employees prefer to reduce the agency's budget by not filling vacant positions and by not seeking pay raises rather than by firing employees or reducing the salaries or benefits of employees.

"I share this belief," he wrote.

Commissioner Mark Sharpe said Tuesday that Gee has been "one of the leaders in county government" when it comes to saving money.

"These are tough, tough times," Sharpe said. "I think the sheriff is just doing a Herculean job to balance budget needs and the welfare of our community. You couldn't ask him to do any more."

Commissioner Rose Ferlita said she believes Gee's employees appreciate the measures to save jobs and that freezing raises is more acceptable than losing deputies.

"The risks are always maximized when you have one less officer or deputy out there," she said.

Information from Tribune archives was used in this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691.

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