Pasco County Sheriff Bob White will return his air unit to service next year with the help of county commissioners.
During a brief and cordial meeting in Dade City this afternoon, commissioners agreed to set aside $145,000 in next year's budget for White to restore his grounded helicopter to action.
The air unit is likely to operate out of Tampa North Aero Park, a private airstrip in Wesley Chapel, because the county's hangar lease at the private air strip in New Port Richey expires Sept. 30 and hasn't been renewed.
White grounded his air unit this year because of budget constraints. He said he changed his mind given the difficulty policing a county as large as Pasco.
"Policing a half a million people without an aerial platform is very difficult," White told commissioners.
Commissioners also approved White's plan to hire 24 new deputies with federal stimulus funds. The county will spend $600,000 from its Penny For Pasco sales tax funds to outfit the deputies with cars and gear.
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