$95 million SSO public safety campus & $68 million jail expansion

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Originally Posted by Josh Salman

Sarasota County commissioners will ask voters in a general election for approval to spend $350 million on:
- a public safety campus for the Sarasota Sheriff ($95 million)
- jail expansion ($68 million)
- judical center ($118 million)
- energy plant ($13 million)
- and more courtrooms in Venice.

The county charter caps internal spending by commissioners on such projects at $23 million, so county budget officials proposed funding the $350 million by selling bonds.

If commissioners opt for the full $350 million, the county would owe over $5.3 million every year for debt obligations, leading to a property tax increase of $80 annually for a home valued at $200,000.

Commissioners previously gave their commitment to hold the property tax rate flat this year. There are projected financial shortfalls through the year 2023.

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http://www.heraldtribune.com/article...ansion-options

This is from the Herald Tribune website:

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Originally Posted by JohnQPublic36

Why do they need to spend $350 million, and primarily over $100 million on law enforcement?

Still trying to find out what a "public safety campus" is? Why do they need a new one to the tune of over $100 million?

One would think we were in a high crime area.

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The "public safety campus" is the financially looney brainchild of Tom Knight (the current sheriff) and Kurt Hoffman (Knight's sidekick). They presented their "visions of grandeur" to county commissioners last year.

Here is the H-T article:

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Originally Posted by Jessie Van Berkel

Sheriff Tom Knight hired Architects Design Group Inc. to create a sheriff’s campus costing more than $100 million.

Commissioner Joe Barbetta said, “We can sit here and talk about grandiose plans, but we don’t have the money to do that. There certainly won’t be any tax increase to fund building expansions.” Knight accepted that his grandiose requests are not going to be met soon.

Commissioners must balance a looming budget shortfall in 2017.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article...NEWS?p=1&tc=pg

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http://forum.heraldtribune.com/viewt...415800#p415800

Why do we need this? This is crazy. Things are fine the way they are. VOTE NO!

Knight’s delusional “visions of grandeur” are hurting the reputation of the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office.

Knight and Hoffman totally overshot this boondoggle by asking taxpayers to foot an unrealistic bill for construction of a 100 million dollar “emperor’s palace” (Knight lovingly calls it his “sheriff’s campus”). However, former commissioner Joe Barbetta calls Knight’s proposal an unrealistic “grandiose” plan that has no basis in economic reality.

If it walks, talks, quacks and poops like a lame duck, then it’s a lame duck.

When Knight and Hoffman first presented their “visions of grandeur” for a 100+ million dollar palace (last year), the dynamic duo caught flak. This year, Knight and Hoffman are now hiding behind closed doors because they are embarrassed by bad publicity for gross financial incompetence.

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Originally Posted by Unregistered

Why do we need this? This is crazy. Things are fine the way they are. VOTE NO!

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The a/c in my patrol car works just fine and it's not crowded in CIS. We've been working out of cubicles for decades. A yes vote only prolongs the Knightmare and gives Knight a ridiculous $100 million dollar palace to work in. Besides, I pay enough taxes and the money can be better spent towards hiring more personnel and raises for existing personnel.

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Originally Posted by Jessie Van Berkel

Sheriff Tom Knight hired Architects Design Group Inc. to create a sheriff’s campus costing more than $100 million.

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• 100+ million = Knight's & Hoffman's grandiose proposal for new facilities.
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• 2.1 million = MSO Sheriff Steube's reasonable proposal for new facilities.

There it is in black and white! No wonder Sheriff Steube is in good graces with commissioners and the power elites while Knight is uhhhhhhhh on the shit list...

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Originally Posted by knightmare

• 100+ million = Knight's & Hoffman's grandiose proposal for new facilities.
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• 2.1 million = MSO Sheriff Steube's reasonable proposal for new facilities.

There it is in black and white! No wonder Sheriff Steube is in good graces with commissioners and the power elites while Knight is uhhhhhhhh on the shit list...

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2.1 Million more???? They just spent close to $70 million a few years ago for the run down building they are in now. And $30 Million to fix up the jail.

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Originally Posted by Unregistered

2.1 Million more???? They just spent close to $70 million a few years ago for the run down building they are in now. And $30 Million to fix up the jail.

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And Construction of a $55 million, 109,000-square-foot Emergency Operations Center off U.S. 301,

Why are all of Steube's proposals/costs a fraction of Knight's proposals/costs?

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Originally Posted by Unregistered

Why are all of Steube's proposals/costs a fraction of Knight's proposals/costs?

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You must be stupid! Steube outspends Knight in everything.