Operational Changes

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Lee County Sheriff's Office memo details changes affecting 22 positions to save $2.7 million

Michael Braun, Fort Myers News-Press Published 3:38 p.m. ET July 9, 2019

The Lee County Sheriff's Office has outlined changes to its operations that could save the agency nearly $3 million.

The changes, as outlined in a June 19 internal memo obtained by The News-Press, would mean 22 jobs will be consolidated, left unfilled or termed unneeded.

The memo, sent by Chief of Operations John Holloway to Sheriff Carmine Marceno, said a review of Sheriff's Office operations led to "improved policies and practices" as well as a review of civilian positions "to determine which positions, if any, were no longer reasonably required to accomplish our agency goals."

Two of the employees whose jobs were impacted said they were told their services were no longer needed and offered other positions that paid $50,000 less a year.

The sheriff's office declined to comment, saying only the positions were eliminated and not considered layoffs.

The Sheriff's Office budget of $186.3 million for 2018-19 listed 1,608 positions. The previous year's budget, $174.5 million, listed 1,603 positions. The sheriff's office did not provide information on how many employees it currently has.

"Affected members were given the option to apply for any current vacant positions," said Lt. Anita Iriarte, a public information officer. "We’ll let the document speak for itself."

The memo contained two sections that described jobs and positions considered "unnecessary, redundant and/or easily absorbed elsewhere in the agency."

One section listed five active positions including project director, executive administrative assistant, community outreach director, senior services coordinator, and a district clerk in the sheriff's Gulf District. Total savings were $621,813, the memo said.

A second section listed 17 positions including five jobs in support services bureau, seven jobs in various patrol bureaus, two jobs in sheriff's administration, two in the criminal investigative bureau and one in the professional standards bureau. These positions were being eliminated when the employee in the job voluntarily left the sheriff's office, transferred out of the job or retired. The savings was put at $1,335,455, according to the memo.

Policy and practice changes that would result in an additional $750,000 include cutting or renegotiating vendor contracts, using private-sector contracts, rescheduling employees in some units to cut overtime, updating obsolete technology and releasing nonviolent inmates with catastrophic medical conditions to cut inmate health care costs.

Terry Valentine Taylor, 59, held one of the jobs on the chopping block. A 28-year employee, Taylor had served as executive administrative assistant under Marceno and former Sheriff Mike Scott, making more than $80,000 a year.

She said she was two years away from retirement.

"They just wanted me gone," she said,

"They didn't offer me another position. They didn't give me that option," she said, adding that she was told that the sheriff's office had no need for her services and she could apply for a dispatcher's position, one she worked earlier in her career.

"I would have had to take a $50,000-a-year pay cut," she said.

More: New Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno swears in personnel in ceremony

She opted to take retirement, at a lower benefit level, and left days after the June 19 memo came out.

Taylor said she felt humiliated by the move.

"I felt like I was in an internal investigation," she said. "The whole building was buzzing."

Stacey Payne, 55, former director of crime prevention for the Lee County Sheriff's Office, had one of five positions listed as redundant, unnecessary or able to be absorbed by others in a June 19 Sheriff's Office memo. She opted to take retirement instead of take another job as well as a $50,000 pay cut.

Stacey Payne, 55, had been with the agency for 23 years, and like Taylor had served under Marceno, Scott, as well as former sheriffs Rodney Shoap and John McDougall, most recently as director of the Crime Prevention Bureau.

Payne, who had seven years until she could retire with full benefits, said she opted to retire, to preserve at least part of her retirement money.

"I could have resigned," she said. "I decided to retire, with significant penalty in benefits."

She said she was offered a clerk's position in the jail, also with a $50,000 pay cut.

It used to be that if a job was eliminated, the person holding that job was offered a similar job, maybe even a better job, at the same pay, she said.

"I had dedicated so many years of my life," Payne said, adding that her goal was to do the best for Lee County residents and support the Sheriff's Office.

"The men and women of the Sheriff's Office have a tough job," she said. "My job was to educate the citizens on what they do."

Payne said her division created and supported many programs, such as CarFit and Project Lifesaver.

Project Lifesaver, which helped keep track of senior citizens and those with autism issues, was recently eliminated as well, Payne said.

"All the equipment was destroyed," she said. "It was a real shame."

She said the program had 57 active participants with 11 people on a waiting list.

The Sheriff's Office said a new program is in the works.

"I kinda felt like they didn't want us," she said. "I felt hurt. The way they did it, it felt like you did something wrong."

She said that within 35 minutes of her decision to retire she was locked out of everything including her access card, her phone and her computer.

"We were not treated with respect," Payne said.

Payne and Taylor said they spoke with former sheriff Scott afterward.

"He was surprised," Payne said.

Scott could not be reached to comment.

James Leavens, a former member of the Sheriff's Office now running for sheriff in the 2020 election, said the moves made were not done the right way.

"If you look at the demographic of the affected, there are obvious discrimination considerations. All were in the top administrative tier, most were women, most were at or over 50 years of age."

Connect with this reporter: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook) @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter)

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Two civilians that were making more than a Certified Captain, WOW!

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Two civilians that were making more than a Certified Captain, WOW!

And to that, I say Bravo to Sheriff Marceno!

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Watch out six figure civilian Jenna......

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I am soooooooooo glad to see this sheriff break tradition from the last two sheriffs who increased salaries for overpaid civilians and civilians period!

This guy has my vote. I wont even mention the name of the "retired major" running against him whose criticizing him for it and going after a stupid story about him not being certified

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I am soooooooooo glad to see this sheriff break tradition from the last two sheriffs who increased salaries for overpaid civilians and civilians period!

This guy has my vote. I wont even mention the name of the "retired major" running against him whose criticizing him for it and going after a stupid story about him not being certified

Agreed, and he has that little POS Forrest running around everywhere saying that he isnt certified, someone look at Forresst file or some of those retirees that are mad mouthing the sheriff, just a bunch of jealous old farts

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Certified must come first Jim! They are the ones risking their lives. The civilians are great people but shouldn’t be paid more than certified, great move!!!!!!

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the rank and file deputies are 1000% behind sheriff marceno and dumb dumb leavens criticizing it is spreading across the agency and certified members now know they want nothing to do with this has been retiree or any of the losers or retirees from the good ole boy system. mike scott ended up being Rodney shoap on steroids by breaking his promise and giving civilians more power and perks than anyone ever before. this agency is staring to look like law enforcement again!

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Sounds like she has an age discrimination lawsuit against Marceno.

Serpico

Lee County Sheriff's Office memo details changes affecting 22 positions to save $2.7 million

Michael Braun, Fort Myers News-Press Published 3:38 p.m. ET July 9, 2019

The Lee County Sheriff's Office has outlined changes to its operations that could save the agency nearly $3 million.

The changes, as outlined in a June 19 internal memo obtained by The News-Press, would mean 22 jobs will be consolidated, left unfilled or termed unneeded.

The memo, sent by Chief of Operations John Holloway to Sheriff Carmine Marceno, said a review of Sheriff's Office operations led to "improved policies and practices" as well as a review of civilian positions "to determine which positions, if any, were no longer reasonably required to accomplish our agency goals."

Two of the employees whose jobs were impacted said they were told their services were no longer needed and offered other positions that paid $50,000 less a year.

The sheriff's office declined to comment, saying only the positions were eliminated and not considered layoffs.

The Sheriff's Office budget of $186.3 million for 2018-19 listed 1,608 positions. The previous year's budget, $174.5 million, listed 1,603 positions. The sheriff's office did not provide information on how many employees it currently has.

"Affected members were given the option to apply for any current vacant positions," said Lt. Anita Iriarte, a public information officer. "We’ll let the document speak for itself."

The memo contained two sections that described jobs and positions considered "unnecessary, redundant and/or easily absorbed elsewhere in the agency."

One section listed five active positions including project director, executive administrative assistant, community outreach director, senior services coordinator, and a district clerk in the sheriff's Gulf District. Total savings were $621,813, the memo said.

A second section listed 17 positions including five jobs in support services bureau, seven jobs in various patrol bureaus, two jobs in sheriff's administration, two in the criminal investigative bureau and one in the professional standards bureau. These positions were being eliminated when the employee in the job voluntarily left the sheriff's office, transferred out of the job or retired. The savings was put at $1,335,455, according to the memo.

Policy and practice changes that would result in an additional $750,000 include cutting or renegotiating vendor contracts, using private-sector contracts, rescheduling employees in some units to cut overtime, updating obsolete technology and releasing nonviolent inmates with catastrophic medical conditions to cut inmate health care costs.

Terry Valentine Taylor, 59, held one of the jobs on the chopping block. A 28-year employee, Taylor had served as executive administrative assistant under Marceno and former Sheriff Mike Scott, making more than $80,000 a year.

She said she was two years away from retirement.

"They just wanted me gone," she said,

"They didn't offer me another position. They didn't give me that option," she said, adding that she was told that the sheriff's office had no need for her services and she could apply for a dispatcher's position, one she worked earlier in her career.

"I would have had to take a $50,000-a-year pay cut," she said.

More: New Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno swears in personnel in ceremony

She opted to take retirement, at a lower benefit level, and left days after the June 19 memo came out.

Taylor said she felt humiliated by the move.

"I felt like I was in an internal investigation," she said. "The whole building was buzzing."

Stacey Payne, 55, former director of crime prevention for the Lee County Sheriff's Office, had one of five positions listed as redundant, unnecessary or able to be absorbed by others in a June 19 Sheriff's Office memo. She opted to take retirement instead of take another job as well as a $50,000 pay cut.

Stacey Payne, 55, had been with the agency for 23 years, and like Taylor had served under Marceno, Scott, as well as former sheriffs Rodney Shoap and John McDougall, most recently as director of the Crime Prevention Bureau.

Payne, who had seven years until she could retire with full benefits, said she opted to retire, to preserve at least part of her retirement money.

"I could have resigned," she said. "I decided to retire, with significant penalty in benefits."

She said she was offered a clerk's position in the jail, also with a $50,000 pay cut.

It used to be that if a job was eliminated, the person holding that job was offered a similar job, maybe even a better job, at the same pay, she said.

"I had dedicated so many years of my life," Payne said, adding that her goal was to do the best for Lee County residents and support the Sheriff's Office.

"The men and women of the Sheriff's Office have a tough job," she said. "My job was to educate the citizens on what they do."

Payne said her division created and supported many programs, such as CarFit and Project Lifesaver.

Project Lifesaver, which helped keep track of senior citizens and those with autism issues, was recently eliminated as well, Payne said.

"All the equipment was destroyed," she said. "It was a real shame."

She said the program had 57 active participants with 11 people on a waiting list.

The Sheriff's Office said a new program is in the works.

"I kinda felt like they didn't want us," she said. "I felt hurt. The way they did it, it felt like you did something wrong."

She said that within 35 minutes of her decision to retire she was locked out of everything including her access card, her phone and her computer.

"We were not treated with respect," Payne said.

Payne and Taylor said they spoke with former sheriff Scott afterward.

"He was surprised," Payne said.

Scott could not be reached to comment.

James Leavens, a former member of the Sheriff's Office now running for sheriff in the 2020 election, said the moves made were not done the right way.

"If you look at the demographic of the affected, there are obvious discrimination considerations. All were in the top administrative tier, most were women, most were at or over 50 years of age."

Connect with this reporter: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook) @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter)

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Sounds like she has an age discrimination lawsuit against Marceno.

Serpico

Karma bites hard! Amazing choices it made to come around and strike.

I guess it stands to reason it would come back to bite them. It always does.

Oh well.