Relations between Citrus County Commissioners and Sheriff Mike Prendergast, deteriorating since a flubbed federal grant last year, continue to slide.
Commissioners turned aside Prendergast's request that the county sign a Department of Justice (DOJ) COPS grant to hire up to 46 officers.
Commissioners also set a June 11 public hearing to establish a special municipal services taxing district, or MSTU, to fund law enforcement.
Prendergast denounced the move.
"The mere suggestion to create an MSTU for law enforcement is a deliberate, misguided, undisguised, or more aptly labeled inaction, designed to do one thing, and that's to defund police."
Prendergast and Commissioners feud over budget issues annually, but it was last year's COPS grant snafu that drove the wedge in further.
The board in 2023, at Prendergast's request, applied for a COPS grant for 43 deputies. The grant is for five years and covers costs for the first three years.
When the DOJ approved the full ask, Commissioners balked at the multimillion-dollar cost, and the grant fizzled.
Relations continued to sour last month when Prendergast skipped a county budget roundtable to attend a law enforcement ceremony in Tallahassee.
And they were no less tense on Tuesday when Prendergast asked commissioners to sign off on another COPS grant for 46 deputies.
Commissioners said they were unwilling to make that commitment.
"We're giving you money. How you spend the money is completely up to you," Commissioner Jeff Kinnard said. "I'm not going to get in the weeds and say we need 22 officers, or we need 55 officers."
Commissioner Diana Finegan said she wants more deputies as well, but she questioned the costs.
"You don't have to sell me on 46 deputies," she said. "I want to support you 110% ... and I want to protect the taxpayers."
Commissioner Rebecca Bays said the county has numerous other gaps in service as well.
"We have a whole laundry list of these things we're behind on," she said. "We can't afford the COPS grant."
Commissioner Ruthie Davis Schlabach in particular, ran afoul of Prendergast. When Schlabach said she voted to give the Sheriff his entire budget request, Prendergast repeatedly interrupted her to say she hadn't.
"We gave you every penny you asked for. You know it's true," she said. "I don't know where it's gone off the rails, but there's a problem here."
Prendergast in April started a Facebook page, funded through a PAC he controls with his longtime Campaign Manager, aimed at criticizing Commissioners for what Prendergast considers a lack of spending for law enforcement.
He threatened Tuesday to ratchet up the rhetoric.
"I have not gone to social media … but I can willingly do that," he said.
Schlabach said Prendergast has only himself to blame.
"No matter what I say, it's not going to be right for you," she said. "It's all or nothing with you. Can you work with us?"
No comments:
Post a Comment