Sheriff Loar seeks $1M for Hurricane Irma overtime

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar often gets what he wants. But not Tuesday.

Loar, whose annual budget is about $50 million, asked the Board of Commissioners for $1 million to help cover his next payroll. That’s because, he said, he put his entire force of nearly 500 people on “alpha” status several days before – and during – Hurricane Irma.

The designation puts deputies on 12-hour shifts, which means a third of that shift pays overtime wages.

Loar said he would repay the funds through reimbursements, primarily from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Some commissioners, however, were leery of the sheriff’s math.

Commissioner Bob Solari did some back-of-the-napkin calculations, and told Loar that an appropriation of about $250,000 should be enough to cover payroll. Commissioner Tim Zorc came up with a $700,000 figure. Loar, who grew agitated, argued that it wasn’t enough, and kept pressing. The commissioners finally voted 4-1 to give him $500,000.

The commissioners expect to revisit the issue in a future meeting.

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