Rising revenues, rising Debt
Palm Beach County reports that the amount of property tax going to the Sheriff's office has grown by 96% over the past 7 years. Click link above for the story.
The Sheriff's budget is one of the biggest percentages of the overall Palm Beach County Budget receiving 58% of the total county-wide property tax revenue. Ric Bradshaw has not added any deputies but his budget keeps going up. What is causing this? Benefits and Retirement accounts.
This is what is breaking the cities and now has put a huge strain on Palm Beach County. As Bob Weisman lays off more people, the Sheriff just wants a budget increase. The Sheriff is costing the City of Lake Worth the biggest part of its budget as well...$15,677,000 for 2010.
A Big Part of the Problem
What is causing this?
ReplyDeleteCrime, Illegals, Growth and lack of respect for the Law.
One of the things they could do would be to stop allowing them to take vehicles home. The get their gas paid too for personal use. Stop this expense. There are probably lots of other things too.
ReplyDeleteWhen seconds count the police are only minutes away. The sheriff needs to get past his union, “pro-cop” mentality and start watching out for the taxpayers. He has jail lieutenants earning a 106,000 base salary plus almost 60,000 in overtime. Am I the only one who finds this bizarre? The entire system is out of whack. A 100k a year cop is bad enough but when mismanagement allows another 60% of salary to be earned because of bad scheduling decisions something should be done. Take home cars? Defined benefit retirement? great health insurance? These are things that are simply not available in the private sector even for those who STILL have a job. I’m pro cop and pro firefighters but there is a limit that society can pay for this service. This limit has been far exceeded and the sheriff needs to reign in out-of-control costs and spending. If he can’t or won’t then elect someone who will.
ReplyDeleteOvertime goes right to the overall retirement package. This is the problem. Bradshaw has already said that he hasn't hired any more people. So it has to be the overtime. So that's probably what's going on in LW. It seems like more cops on the street but it is the same people. So if its the same number then they are really raking in the overtime. Crime is up in Lake Worth by the way. Let's get more C.O.P on the streets.
ReplyDelete