Recently, Sheriff Eric Flowers requested 14.6-million-dollar budget increase from our County Commissioners. Our commissioners weren’t sold on this idea though… Council Chair Joe Flescher highlighted that the commission has already increased the budget 22 million dollars in the past four years, with “well over 75%” of our ad-valorem tax revenue going the to the Sheriff’s office.
In the end, the commissioners settled on a more reasonable 6-million-dollar increase, but not without retaliation. The Sheriff’s office decided that that the days of sending deputies to Commision meetings for free are over. If the County Commission want’s security moving forward, they will be expected to shell out $60 per hour with a three-hour minimum per deputy. You can read more about this contentious exchange HERE