INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The County Commission tabled a request from Sheriff Deryl Loar for $600,000 for new patrol cars, putting the matter off until an unspecified January meeting. Loar said he needs the money to upgrade what he called an aging fleet of 165 green and white patrol cars.
The sheriff said the patrol cars are “the offices of the men and women who patrol the county and respond to 911 calls.”
Objection to the request came from Commissioner Bob Solari who disapproved of getting financial information from the sheriff relevant to the request at the last minute.
“I appreciate finally getting this this financial information,” he said to Loar, emphasizing the word “finally.” “But it would have been helpful to have it before this.”
Solari also pointed out several instances he noticed from a quick review of the sheriff’s report on capital expenditures he said contradicted statements the sheriff had made previously to the commission.
“I had the impression when we completed the budget process in July that you had purchased 13 or 14 cars in the prior year, but I see looking at this that it was 25 cars. That changes my understanding of the situation.”
Commissioner Joseph Flescher took issue with the sheriff’s characterization of the patrol car fleet as “aging.”
“You have done a remarkable job of bringing the rolling stock up to date,” he said. “Looking at these figures, I do not see an aging fleet.”
Commissioner Wheeler objected to the sheriff coming back so soon after the budget process was completed to ask for additional money, and to the practice of shifting money from one part of the department’s budget to another.
“There was no mention of capital improvement money in your budget,” Wheeler told Loar. “Yet you had to know you would need capital items. What is the purpose of going through the whole dog and pony show of the budget process if you are not going to stick to it?”
The sheriff countered that July budget discussions included a reference to his ability to come back to the commission with a request such as he was making for the $600,000.
Wheeler said he did not remember that.
Commissioner Wesley Davis, however, backed the sheriff up and said the possibility of a supplemental request had been discussed and commissioners had agreed to be open to such a request.
Wheeler said he objected nevertheless to the procedure of making out what amount to fictitious budgets and then changing them.
County Administrator Joe Baird also supported the sheriff’s contention that he was within agreed parameters with his supplemental request, but added the full $600,000 was not available in the 1-cent sales tax fund the sheriff was seeking money from.
“There is a balance $438,000 in the fund but we would not feel comfortable using the whole amount,” Baird said. He said it would be reasonable to give the sheriff $300,000 out of the fund.
Solari again objected to last-minute and what he considered to be faulty information from the sheriff’s department. He said he wanted to see complete budget figures, showing budgeted and actual expenditures in various categories within the sheriff’s budget for the past two fiscal years before proceeding.
Davis said he too would like to see that information and suggested tabling the matter until the sheriff provides the facts and figures. He also suggested Loar meet with Baird and county staff to figure out how much money is available and come up with a plan to present to the commission in January.
Loar floated the idea of approving $300,000 for new patrol cars immediately and then bringing the matter of additional funds back for further discussion next year, but the commissioners declined, sticking to the plan to discuss the full amount in January.
