SSO Budget

[Unregistered]

Sarasota Sheriff’s leaders said they do not need to increase the 973 full-time personnel.

Chief Deputy Col. Kurt Hoffman said: “We’re not throwing personnel at problems.”

Sheriff Tom Knight said: “I’m not here to bargain. I don’t come in here like some other sheriffs might, to tell (commissioners) that I want 20 new deputies, just so I can get one.”

Knight’s budget accounts for 40 percent of the county’s general fund and 10 percent of all county spending. It will increase this year, according to Knight's proposal.

The county is moving forward with a $16.5 million plan to move the sheriff’s headquarters to Cattlemen Road, with designs for a $19 million fleet maintenance facility.

County leaders are considering:
- a 0.1 mill increase to the county’s property tax rate and
- a new 5 percent tax on water, electric and gas consumption in homes in the unincorporated county areas.

Full story:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20...ties-next-year

[Unregistered]

Sarasota County Commissioners agreed to consider a brand new 5% excise tax on water, electric and gas consumption by residents in unincorporated Sarasota County to:
- fund a new Sarasota Sheriff’s headquarters
- sustain the current budget

Staff is calling the proposed new levy a "public service tax" to balance this year’s budget -- and future budgets.

Sarasota County has a $1 billion 2018 budget, along with a planned $294 million general fund.

Sarasota County is straining financially because...

Full story:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20...ic-service-tax

[Unregistered]

Sheriff Tom Knight said: “I don’t come in here like other sheriffs..."

Tom, why would you try to toot your own horn in public with that kind of comment? The answer is because no one will praise you, so you're trying to praise yourself in public. Where is the public humility and modesty?

Tom, you are so correct: you are not like other sheriffs. That should be a clue that something is wrong. Nails that stick up get hammered down.

• Other sheriff's don't defy court orders from a chief judge. Appellate judges are getting ready to examine your actions. You still might go to jail on that one.
• Other sheriffs don't endorse public officials -- and then publicly threaten them when they piss you off (like you threatened Caroline Zucker)
• Not one other sheriff in the Florida has abandoned security checkpoints inside court buildings. (But you have).
• Other sheriffs do not appoint so many immoral men into their "inner circle of trust." But click here to see your personally chosen command staff members (scroll down and look at the bullet points).

[Unregistered]

Sheriff Tom Knight said: “I’m not here to bargain..."

So it's your way or the highway? No negotiation? No "give and take"? That's typical of you. Your rigid approach may work against deputies because you hold the paycheck (and you can threaten us with it). However, your rigid approach is not a good tactical approach to use against county commissioners or other public officials. For example, your rigid approach against the chief judge isn't working out so well, is it? lol

[Unregistered]

Let me ask you this ...Have you seen the personal here anymore? Notice you know no one. People are banging down the door to be part of this agency. The pay,The opportunity to advance. The opportunity to move freely throughout the agency to specialized units. You are definitely a thing of the past. This Sheriff is moving us to a new Head quarters,we've seen raises,promotions. How many do you actually see leaving for other agencies. I bet you can count that on one hand.. Time for you to retire.....

[Unregistered]

How many do you actually see leaving for other agencies. I bet you can count that on one hand..

Employees have historically never left the Sarasota Sheriff's Office, even under Balkwill and Monge, unless they were going to specialized agencies like FDLE, FBI, DEA, etc. The Sarasota Sheriff's Office is awesome. Absolutely nobody is complaining about that, although you fail to recognize that. The Sarasota Sheriff's Office is not a knightmare, but the current sheriff is. Therein is the big difference that your blindness fails to note. You are blind in one and and you can't see out of the other.