Amidst News of Budget Cuts Manatee Sheriff Asks for Pay Raise for Deputies

Voters may get a chance this year to vote on whether to raise taxes specifically to give the sheriff's department an extra $5.5 million for pay raises.

Dwindling county revenues mean a smaller county budget and continued cuts throughout the county. The $458 million county budget is 1.6 percent less than the current budget with tax revenues expected to be 2.5 percent less. The county is relying on its reserves and will eliminate four positions in the proposed budget.

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office is eliminating nine jobs in the current proposal and is reducing the size of it's fleet, but that doesn't mean the sheriff doesn't want more money in his budget.

He says he's losing experienced deputies — some to nearby agencies some to industries that pay more.

He gave an impassioned plea to County Commissioners Thursday to try to convince them to give pay raises to the people in his agency, who he said, put their lives on the line for their jobs.

It's the third consecutive year that Sheriff Brad Steube has asked the County Commissioners to raise taxes to give his deputies a pay raise. In 2010 he asked for an additional $3.6 million for raises. Last year he said he needed $4.8 million and this year he is asking for $5.5 million.

In the previous two years county commissioners declined to give him the extra money for raises. Commissioners did increase his budget last year so that he could hire more road patrol deputies and more deputies for the jail.

This year commissioners are considering a referendum on the issue of a tax increase specifically designed to provide pay raised for deputies. The sheriff estimates to tax increase would be between $7 and $10 a year for the majority of homeowners in the county.

Steube is eliminating 9 positions from the department this year through attrition and reassignment. He is also eliminating 40 vehicles from his fleet of cars. In addition he is keeping cars on the road longer than he has in the past. Now vehicles will stay in the fleet until they have 115,000 miles. The department is even lloking for less expensive ways to maintain its vehicles.

He says he's most worried now about retaining qualified staff. Currently, he says, 27 percent of his deputies have less than five years experience. Starting deputies earn a base salary of $39,600 a year. Steube said he has some deputies with as much as five years of experience who earn the same amount.

"You have to help me," he told Commissioners.

The County Commission will look at the sheriff's request at a workshop on Tuesday. They are expected to evaluate how much an extra $5.5 million will add to the tax rate and to discuss the possibility of a ballot referendum on the issue.