Digging Deeper: Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget

One Lee County Commissioner wants to change how taxpayers view the Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget following a possible federal investigation and a grand jury meeting.

Both situations have put the Sheriff’s Office budget in the crosshairs. Commissioner Brian Hamman’s proposing changes.

• RELATED: Lee County Commissioners discuss LCSO budget and Sheriff Marceno federal investigation

Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman spoke to WINK News Reporter Olivia Jean to further explain his idea after bringing it up in the commissioner’s meeting this past Tuesday.

“Whether you live in a city or whether you live in unincorporated Lee, you’re paying the countywide general fund, which funds the Sheriff’s Office. You just don’t get to see what it pays for. You don’t get to see how much of that money is going to the Sheriff’s Office unless you come to the budget hearing and get a copy of the budget and look at what’s what the money is being spent on,” Hamman said.

He continued to say, “I’m proposing this because it would give you a chance to see how much money is going to law enforcement and how much money is being spent on the rest of the departments in the county in the general fund funds.”

Other departments that benefit from the countywide general budget are parks and roads. Hamman said they have had to cut back on funds for other departments, because of the Sheriff’s Office budget.

“I watched the sheriff’s budget grow, and I’ve watched us have to hold other county departments flat, or maybe even make cuts to other county departments to accommodate the growth in the Sheriff’s budget. And I felt like, you know, it’s really not fair to them,” Hamman said.

Hamman’s idea is a new idea for Lee County, but not for other Florida counties. Just north of Lee County, Charlotte County breaks down its tax bills with a line item for law enforcement.

If the idea goes through, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office would have it’s own line and dollar amount, just like you see with fire and library taxes. By separating the county general fund and the Sheriff’s Office budget, what you pay to the department will be more visible.

Some question if this move is an added tax, Hamman assured it is not.

“I’m looking to move the taxes for the law enforcement out of the general fund and then lower the general fund by that amount so that people aren’t paying new taxes. They’re just going to have more visibility to the taxes that they spend on law enforcement,” Hamman said.

The county commission would still have to approve the budget before any taxpayers see numbers.

This year’s Sheriff’s Office budget came in at $315 million dollars. Commissioners approved the budget in September but only see a broad breakdown, not individual expenses, making details on where the money is actually going limited.

• RELATED: Breaking down the Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget

Once commissioners approve the budget, the Sheriff’s Office can do whatever they want with the money. They can even change their proportions even after Commissioners approve the budget.

“Under state law, because the Sheriff is an elected constitutional officer, it’s actually within his discretion to change how the money is used, even after it’s been budgeted. So, people ask me all the time, how could you let this person put his name all over the cars, or buy TV studios or things like that. The truth is, commissioners never see those individual expenses. We do not approve the individual expenses,” Hamman said.

Commissioners can only provide so much oversight.

WINK News has reached out to LCSO about who holds the Sheriff’s Office accountable once the money gets put into their hands. We have yet to hear back from them. Instead, Commissioner Hamman answered.

“It’s the voters. The voters hold the Sheriff accountable. They have to look at how the Sheriff uses his money, how the Sheriff keeps Lee County safe, and then make a determination on if they want to continue with that Sheriff,” Hamman said.

He continued saying, “The Sheriff just won re-election. The voters like what’s happening, and that’s great, but I think giving them more information, allowing them to see that budget on its own line to see the taxes they pay to support that budget on its own line on their tax bill, is just going to give them more power to then hold the sheriff accountable. They’re his boss,” Hamman said.

WINK News has placed nine records requests related to the $315 million dollar budget. The sheriff’s office has not fulfilled any of those requests yet.

WINK News compared the Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget to comparable continues. Both Polk and Pinellas Counties are similar in population to Lee County.

Pinellas has beaches and many tourists. Polk is more rural. It has spring training and a theme park. The Pinellas Sheriff’s Office budget is $457 million. Polk $215 million.

Hamman’s idea for the LCSO budget moves to a strategic planning meeting that will take place in January. Hamman hopes county staff will undertake a study to see if it could work in Lee County.