GUEST EDITORIAL: City of Sarasota continues its spendthrift ways

[Unregistered]

“Thank you Mr. Hyde. The taxpayers need to start taking a more proactive role in how bureaucrats are wasting taxpayer money.

Nowhere in this city/county is this more obvious than the Sheriff’s Office. This administration claims to be fiscally responsible and allegedly that was the reason for closing the south county office. The south county office has been a lifeline for so many seniors and disabled citizens for years. Yet this administration finds it acceptable to spend almost $400,000 on a media department.

Sources have also advised this administration spent in excess of $100,000 on an outside contractor to conduct their polygraphs. Why would an honest and “legitimate” law enforcement administration do this? The taxpayers spent a lot of money training (3) deputies/detectives to become certified polygraph operators. That means it should cost taxpayers an additional $0 a year to conduct polygraphs. We should look at the top of this administration and see who has failed polygraphs before. Is this the need to control the outcomes?

I personally know all three polygraph operators. During my time as a detective have partnered/worked with 2 of them and the third I know through work and by reputation. ALL three have the utmost integrity and would not bow to pressure or throw a polygraph. They would never give the administration results that they may want or favor. I have also worked with and for the contractor who is currently conducting the polygraphs.

So, if you get rid of the media office and stop paying outside contractors to do something the agency has the resources to conduct itself, thats $500,000 a year. I think that is enough to fund a south county satellite officers service North Port, Nokomis, Venice and Englewood.”



https://www.heraldtribune.com/opinio...endthrift-ways

[Unregistered]

“Thank you Mr. Hyde. The taxpayers need to start taking a more proactive role in how bureaucrats are wasting taxpayer money.

Nowhere in this city/county is this more obvious than the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office. This administration claims to be fiscally responsible and allegedly that was the reason for closing the south county office. The south county office has been a lifeline for so many seniors and disabled citizens for years. Yet this administration finds it acceptable to spend almost $400,000 on a media department.

Sources have also advised this administration spent in excess of $100,000 on an outside contractor to conduct their polygraphs. Why would an honest and “legitimate” law enforcement administration do this? The taxpayers spent a lot of money training (3) deputies/detectives to become certified polygraph operators. That means it should cost taxpayers an additional $0 a year to conduct polygraphs. We should look at the top of this administration and see who has failed polygraphs before. Is this the need to control the outcomes?

I personally know all three polygraph operators. During my time as a detective have partnered/worked with 2 of them and the third I know through work and by reputation. ALL three have the utmost integrity and would not bow to pressure or throw a polygraph. They would never give the administration results that they may want or favor. I have also worked with and for the contractor who is currently conducting the polygraphs.

So, if you get rid of the media office and stop paying outside contractors to do something the agency has the resources to conduct itself, thats $500,000 a year. I think that is enough to fund a south county satellite officers service North Port, Nokomis, Venice and Englewood.”



https://www.heraldtribune.com/opinio...endthrift-ways

FACTOID: Tom Knight's expenditure of $400,000 of the annual budget (every year) on an internal "media department" is an absolutely ludicrous waste of "limited taxpayer dollars" that has nothing to do with public safety (not worth 400k's worth). It's unconscionable.

Thank goodness Knight will be gone in January 2021.