Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony is asking the state to require the county to increase spending on law enforcement, after the Broward County Commission approved only a partial raise, according to the Sun Sentinel.
Tony requested a 9% increase over last year’s budget, arguing that the Sheriff’s Office needs additional resources to maintain public safety across the county. The commission, however, approved only a 3% increase in the $833 million allocated to the Sheriff’s Office for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. Tony has now appealed to the state’s administration commission, which includes the governor and his cabinet, to intervene.
While the Sheriff’s Office appears to account for nearly half of the county’s $1.8 billion overall budget, much of that funding is restricted to specific purposes.
In a recent newsletter, County Commissioner Steve Geller provided context, noting that after accounting for enterprise funds, restricted grants, bonds, and city contributions, Broward has roughly $1.65 billion in spendable General Revenue. Of that, $833 million goes to BSO, with cities contributing an additional $570 million for local policing.
Geller also highlighted that constitutional offices, including BSO, consume a large portion of the discretionary General Revenue before other services are funded. Once law enforcement and other mandated offices are accounted for, less than $700 million remains for discretionary spending, which covers libraries, parks, healthcare, addiction recovery, children’s services, and enhancements to 911 technology and the Medical Examiner’s Office.
The newsletter also included warnings about proposals to eliminate property taxes. About 85% of Broward’s General Revenue comes from property taxes, which account for only a quarter of a typical homeowner’s total property tax bill. Geller cautioned that removing these funds would severely impact essential services, including public safety, flood control, and infrastructure.
To address ongoing budget disputes with the Sheriff’s Office, Geller suggested tying BSO funding to a fixed percentage of property tax revenue. This would give the sheriff more flexibility to raise additional funds independently while ensuring the county can maintain funding for other services.
The county is expected to respond to the sheriff’s appeal later this week, according to Greg Meyer, a spokesman for the administration.
