Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony has asked the state to intervene after the Broward County Commission approved only a partial budget increase for his office.
Tony requested a 9% increase—more than $73 million—citing a salary study showing that BSO employees were underpaid and struggling to remain competitive. The commission approved just a 3% increase in the $833 million allocated for the fiscal year, prompting Tony to appeal to the state’s administration commission, which includes the governor and cabinet members.
“We weren’t asking for new cars. We weren’t asking for new helicopters,” Tony told commissioners. “We were asking to keep our people… and that was reduced down to 3%.” He noted that neighboring counties received more substantial funding increases, including Palm Beach and Miami-Dade.
County officials have defended their decision, noting that the Sheriff’s Office already accounts for nearly half of Broward’s $1.8 billion overall budget. Commissioner Steve Geller explained that after factoring in enterprise funds, restricted grants, bonds, and city contributions, the county has roughly $1.65 billion in spendable General Revenue. Of that, $833 million goes to BSO, with cities contributing another $570 million for local policing. Once funding for constitutional offices such as BSO is accounted for, less than $700 million remains for discretionary programs, including libraries, parks, healthcare, addiction recovery, and enhancements to 911 technology and the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Geller also warned that proposals to eliminate property taxes—which supply roughly 85% of Broward’s General Revenue—would severely impact essential services, from public safety to infrastructure and flood control. To address ongoing budget disputes, he suggested tying BSO funding to a fixed percentage of property tax revenue, giving the sheriff more flexibility while ensuring the county can maintain funding for other services.
In its response to Tony’s appeal, Broward County also cited past instances in which salary increase funds were redirected by BSO for other projects. Meanwhile, the county welcomed a new mayor, Mark Bogen, who has not weighed in on the dispute. The administration commission will now decide whether additional funds should be allocated to BSO.
