09-06-2007, 01:06 PM
Sheriff Balkwill plans to close South County jail :shock:
By HEATHER ALLEN and DOUG SWORD
STAFF WRITERS
heather.allen@heraldtribune.com
doug.sword@heraldtribune.com
SARASOTA COUNTY -- Sheriff Bill Balkwill announced Wednesday night that he would close the South County jail, a move that will also take beat officers off the streets, particularly in North Port and Venice.
Balkwill said in a letter to County Commission Chairwoman Nora Patterson that he was "extremely disappointed" in the commission. He said he had no choice but to close the holding facility because of budget cuts imposed by the commission.
The facility is set to close on Sept. 30.
This is the worst standoff between Balkwill and the county during his two terms as sheriff. He announced last month that he will retire when his term ends in 2008 to care for his aging parents.
The County Commission rejected Balkwill's initial request for a $4.6 million budget increase. Last week, he returned with a proposed $89 million budget that included a $1.1 million increase. The commissioners rejected that as well.
While the county's proposed budget for next year reduces property taxes by about $6 million due to state-mandated cuts, spending will rise a little because the county will still collect more taxes from other sources of revenue.
Balkwill, in his letter to Patterson, said that after cutting $4 million and 20 positions, he was unwilling to cut any further because it would risk the public's safety.
"We're down to the bare minimum. There's just no room," said Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Chuck Lesaltato. "He really didn't want to do it."
Balkwill met with the local police chiefs Wednesday afternoon and informed them of his decision. According to North Port police Chief Terry Lewis, the sheriff told those around the table that there were two ways for him to save the holding facility: Receive that $1.1 million in his budget that the commission rejected or cut another 15 deputies.
"If I were the sheriff, and those were my options, then I would shut down the South County facility, too," Lewis said. "It is my opinion that the county needs to step up and fix this."
Lewis said that, with the permission of North Port's city manager, he will attend the county's budget hearing Monday and appeal to commissioners to find a remedy.
But Patterson and Commissioner Shannon Staub said the issue could have been avoided, especially if those cities that will be most dramatically affected pitched in with some cash.
"I had hoped that the two cities that were affected by it, North Port and Venice, would find a way to help, but apparently no one wanted to do that," said Patterson. "I'd rather keep it open than not, but I don't have another million to throw into the pot."
One of the messages county commissioners have heard during a summer of negotiations over budget cuts is that "there is room for streamlining" in the sheriff's department, Staub said. If Balkwill was unable to find $1.1 million in cuts, but came back with $250,000 or $500,000, that may have been enough to win her vote, she said.
Despite the cuts, the county's spending from its general fund is still increasing, with much of the spending cuts involving capital projects, such as road construction.
While the sheriff's budget is up slightly, it actually would decline as a percentage of the general fund, which pays for most of the county's basic budget.
Balkwill has said in the past that closing the South County facility will save about $760,000. It will also eliminate 12 correction deputy positions, which will be absorbed into vacancies at the North County Jail, Balkwill wrote in his letter to Patterson.
But, without the holding facility in Venice, police officers from North Port and Venice and deputies in South County will have to drive anyone they arrest to the jail in Sarasota.
Lewis said that between the drive and waiting for a suspect to make his or her way through an already crowded booking facility, an officer could be away from his or her beat for up to four hours.
And in North Port, where many of the arrests are domestic batteries or DUIs, Lewis said officers cannot simply write an order for someone to appear in court, or to pay a fine, which is the case for minor crimes.
"There's no wiggle room in our arrests. These arrests are mandatory," he said. "We could lose half of our minimum staffing. We could be below minimum staffing."
In July alone, Lewis said, North Port police officers arrested 1,000 people.
By HEATHER ALLEN and DOUG SWORD
STAFF WRITERS
heather.allen@heraldtribune.com
doug.sword@heraldtribune.com
SARASOTA COUNTY -- Sheriff Bill Balkwill announced Wednesday night that he would close the South County jail, a move that will also take beat officers off the streets, particularly in North Port and Venice.
Balkwill said in a letter to County Commission Chairwoman Nora Patterson that he was "extremely disappointed" in the commission. He said he had no choice but to close the holding facility because of budget cuts imposed by the commission.
The facility is set to close on Sept. 30.
This is the worst standoff between Balkwill and the county during his two terms as sheriff. He announced last month that he will retire when his term ends in 2008 to care for his aging parents.
The County Commission rejected Balkwill's initial request for a $4.6 million budget increase. Last week, he returned with a proposed $89 million budget that included a $1.1 million increase. The commissioners rejected that as well.
While the county's proposed budget for next year reduces property taxes by about $6 million due to state-mandated cuts, spending will rise a little because the county will still collect more taxes from other sources of revenue.
Balkwill, in his letter to Patterson, said that after cutting $4 million and 20 positions, he was unwilling to cut any further because it would risk the public's safety.
"We're down to the bare minimum. There's just no room," said Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Chuck Lesaltato. "He really didn't want to do it."
Balkwill met with the local police chiefs Wednesday afternoon and informed them of his decision. According to North Port police Chief Terry Lewis, the sheriff told those around the table that there were two ways for him to save the holding facility: Receive that $1.1 million in his budget that the commission rejected or cut another 15 deputies.
"If I were the sheriff, and those were my options, then I would shut down the South County facility, too," Lewis said. "It is my opinion that the county needs to step up and fix this."
Lewis said that, with the permission of North Port's city manager, he will attend the county's budget hearing Monday and appeal to commissioners to find a remedy.
But Patterson and Commissioner Shannon Staub said the issue could have been avoided, especially if those cities that will be most dramatically affected pitched in with some cash.
"I had hoped that the two cities that were affected by it, North Port and Venice, would find a way to help, but apparently no one wanted to do that," said Patterson. "I'd rather keep it open than not, but I don't have another million to throw into the pot."
One of the messages county commissioners have heard during a summer of negotiations over budget cuts is that "there is room for streamlining" in the sheriff's department, Staub said. If Balkwill was unable to find $1.1 million in cuts, but came back with $250,000 or $500,000, that may have been enough to win her vote, she said.
Despite the cuts, the county's spending from its general fund is still increasing, with much of the spending cuts involving capital projects, such as road construction.
While the sheriff's budget is up slightly, it actually would decline as a percentage of the general fund, which pays for most of the county's basic budget.
Balkwill has said in the past that closing the South County facility will save about $760,000. It will also eliminate 12 correction deputy positions, which will be absorbed into vacancies at the North County Jail, Balkwill wrote in his letter to Patterson.
But, without the holding facility in Venice, police officers from North Port and Venice and deputies in South County will have to drive anyone they arrest to the jail in Sarasota.
Lewis said that between the drive and waiting for a suspect to make his or her way through an already crowded booking facility, an officer could be away from his or her beat for up to four hours.
And in North Port, where many of the arrests are domestic batteries or DUIs, Lewis said officers cannot simply write an order for someone to appear in court, or to pay a fine, which is the case for minor crimes.
"There's no wiggle room in our arrests. These arrests are mandatory," he said. "We could lose half of our minimum staffing. We could be below minimum staffing."
In July alone, Lewis said, North Port police officers arrested 1,000 people.