A $22 million reduction in the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office budget will cause a reduction in services and loss of jobs, both of which can be saved if City Council adjusts the millage rate to a revenue neutral level, according to Sheriff John Rutherford.
Rutherford met with the media Tuesday to discuss his proposed reductions of the office’s $373 million budget, that when combined with the proposals would result in a $353 million budget.
Initially $11.6 million in cuts, an additional $9 million was required following notification of increased pension contributions.
The proposed cuts include the Aug. 24 closing of a Community Transition Center and its 69 corrections officer and nine civilian positions that would save $4.4 million and the elimination of the Community Service Officer program, also on Aug. 24, that would eliminate 71 civilian positions and save $3.3 million.
Those were the two programs Rutherford said could be saved if Council and Mayor Alvin Brown’s administration increase the millage rate to the “rolled back” rate that would result in the City collecting the same amount of property taxes as last year.
Brown proposed to keep a millage rate of 10.0353 mills for the general services district for fiscal year 2012-13, the same as this year, although Florida statutes would allow the rate to be 10.4919 to remain revenue neutral. A mill is equal to $1 in tax revenue for every $1,000 in assessed value.
Rutherford said the increase would result in about $24 million. He said the sheriff’s office should receive about half of that because its budget comprises almost half the City’s annual budget.
“We can either have the reduced property tax revenue or we can have the same service. We cannot have both,” Rutherford said.
He said he believes the public will support such a move if it means maintaining the current public safety levels.
“We can’t afford any more of this,” he said referring to the budget cuts. “We can’t keep cutting our way out of this.”
Rutherford met with City Council President Bill Bishop on Wednesday to discuss his cuts and while Bishop said they were severe, he doesn’t advocate raising the millage rate to the rolled back rate to compensate.
“I understand his position but I do not think it (raising the rate) is realistic,” Bishop said.
“It’s a short-term fix. What will we do next year? Keep rolling up the rate when we have more budget shortfalls, because they are projected and it’s not getting any better,” he said.
Rutherford said he has talked with several Council members and that there could be a chance the rate becomes rolled up, but Bishop said he thinks the idea is a “non-starter” and will not advance far. He said he supports the mayor’s stance, in this case, of the public not needing increased taxes or fees.
Council will either approve or adjust the rate through a resolution to send to the Property Appraiser to begin sending out notices of proposed property taxes, also called “Truth in Millage” notices. The date for that vote has yet been set, but it will be sometime in August.
Rutherford said the proposed reductions would be 319 total positions, 189 of which are vacant or will become vacant in fiscal 2012. The remaining 130 will be laid off, though no police officer positions will be fired.
Rutherford said he doesn’t blame the current administration nor current Council for the economic predicament causing a need for reductions, but did say “it’s something that’s got to be fixed” by the current leaders.
He said he has been adamant to not lay off police officers, but that in a worst case scenario where the rate is not adjusted and the Council’s Finance Committee tells him to cut more, he will have no choice.
Last year Rutherford included potential grants and an anticipated savings from salary reductions, both of which were pulled by the committee. He said there were no such items in this year’s budget and the only revenue item the office has included is a $1.5 million source from the red light camera program.
Among the office’s other proposed cuts:
• The elimination of overtime for special events, consisting of 10 Jacksonville Jaguars games, the annual Florida-Georgia and Gator Bowl games and monster truck show. The office provides traffic control for these events, but would save $700,000 to not do so. Also, private events requiring traffic assistance will require full funding.
• Motorists in distress or accidents on state roads will no longer be able to rely on the sheriff’s office for assistance and instead will be helped by Florida Highway Patrol. Those talks with FHP are ongoing, he said.
• Uniforms and safety equipment will be reduced by $189,000.
• The closure of the transition center will also save the City’s general fund $1.5 million through the elimination of services by River Region Human Services Inc.
• Fleet costs will be reduced by $200,000.
• Realized savings from the fiscal 2012 budget of $5.2 million are included in Rutherford’s cuts.
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Positions proposed for reduction
Number of positions indicates roles that are both filled and vacant, while number of people indicates actual personnel laid off.
Fiscal year 2012-13
| Number of positions | Number of people | |
| Police officer positions | 74 | - |
| Corrections officer positions | 91 | 58 |
| Civilian positions | 154 | 72 |
| Total positions eliminated in FY 2013 budget | 319 | 130 |
Fiscal year 2011-12
| Number of people | |
| Police officers | 45 |
| Civilians | 29 |
| Total number of employees laid off | 74 |
| Total number of employees laid off in FY 2012 and 2013 | 204 |