http://www.news4jax.com/news/20705870/detail.html
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Sheriff John Rutherford was visibly angry Thursday morning after the City Council's finance committee cut the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office budget. The sheriff said the cuts total $10.7 million.
Rutherford said the 3 percent cut will force him to lay off 164 people. He said 12 officers would be cut -- the rest would be civilian employees.
In order to cut the budget that deeply, he would disband the mounted unit and let 92 community service officers go on Oct. 1. One of two public information officer positions would also be eliminated.
Rutherford also said he would not be able to hire the 50 new officers that were to be funded by a Department of Justice grant because he cannot commit to paying their salaries when the grant expires -- one of the conditions of receiving the money.
Community service officers responding to non-violent and non-emergency calls for service, prepare traffic crash and incident reports and issue citations for non-criminal traffic incidents.
"When you're sitting in your car in the rain waiting on a car to come work your traffic crash, you need to talk to your councilman," Rutherford said.
Rutherford said the council is mandating across-the-board salary cuts of 3 percent -- much like they are with all other city departments -- but he cannot cut salaries for officers without negotiating concessions from the police union.
"I think they understand exactly what they did," Rutherford said. "They wanted to cut 3 percent of salaries, which are not cut yet, and that's why I have to do these layoffs. I can't write a check Oct. 1 when I know the money is not going to be there."
Council members said the sheriff can make up those funds in pay cuts when contract negotiations with the police union begin soon.
But Fraternal Order of Police President Nelson Cuba told Channel 4's Jim Piggott on Thursday there's "no way" the union will agree to a 3 percent salary cut.
"It's unreasonable, and we will not accept a 3 percent pay cut," Cuba said.
Council President Richard Clark told Piggott after the vote that he thinks the sheriff is overreacting to the budget reduction. Clark said he did not feel the reduction would affect public safety.
"The fact that he says you are putting the public in danger, I don't think that is true," Clark said. "I think we are going to live within our means, and I think we are trying to protect the citizens as a whole."
The finance committee also voted to reduce the fire department budget by nearly $4 million. Fire officials said that would not require layoffs, but that some positions will not be filled and there could be salary cuts.
The council voted down Mayor John Peyton's recommendation to increase property taxes 12 percent, so the finance committee is trying to cut up to $50 million out of a nearly $1 billion budget to avoid an increase in the property tax rate.
Later Thursday, the committee was expected to vote on funding for the fire department and Jacksonville Journey. The budgets for the Public Works Department and the Children's Commission are expected to be voted on Friday.
The committee is recommending the fire department cut nearly $4 million. Fire officials said that means positions won't be filled and there could be salary cuts.
The full council is scheduled to vote on the budget Sept. 29.
istols
