VERO BEACH — Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers gave an impassioned plea to county commissioners on Wednesday, July 9, to fully fund his $14 million budget request, warning that failing to do so could result in staff departures, operational cuts, and risks to public safety.
"I'm asking from you 14 and change this year to fund our budget," Flowers said during the commission meeting. "If you choose to fund one penny less than what I'm asking for, you are required by the statute to provide in writing exactly what it is that I'm supposed to cut from this."
Flowers cited Florida Statute 30.49, which mandates a written explanation from the county for any reductions to a sheriff’s proposed budget.
“I want to make sure the citizens know and our good governor know exactly what it is you want us to stop doing,” he said.
At the heart of the request is a concern over salaries and retention. Flowers detailed rising costs, a competitive job market, and increasing demands on law enforcement personnel.
“My goal is to raise their pay,” he said. “It’s not fair that those who have dedicated their time and energy to this community can’t live in this community because they’re not making enough money.”
Flowers shared an example of a recent staff departure due to pay: “A young deputy, a great guy from the Coast Guard, he started with us. He got a few years in. He's at Vero Beach High—the school loves him. He's making $53K a year. He just left us to go to PSL to make $79K a year.”
“If this budget increase goes through as proposed, he'd make around $72,” Flowers added. “There’s no way at $52K I’m keeping any of these people.”
County Administrator John Titkanich reported that the county expects an additional $8.6 million in general fund revenue this year. When asked by Commissioner Joseph Flescher how much of that is going to the sheriff, Titkanich responded, “I think it’s 57 percent.”
Former sheriff and current commissioner Deryl Loar acknowledged the importance of addressing pay gaps but suggested compromise.
“We need, selectively, to work together to figure out what it’s going to take for the salaries, to look at some of the operational expenses and [come] up with a number that we can achieve those goals,” Loar said.
Loar said during budget talks earlier in the day, “Six million dollars, according to the math discussed at lunch, is almost $10K a year for sworn and $2,500 [for] civilians. That would leave you another nine million dollars.”
“I think the beginning of discussion was taking care of the men and women,” Loar added. “If we are talking $10K per sworn employee and $2,500 per civilian, that is $6 million.”
But Flowers expressed frustration at the lack of meaningful offers from the board.
“We haven’t had an offer that’s even 50 percent of my ask,” he said. “What am I supposed to tell these folks?”
He added that the personnel portion of the budget alone costs over $9 million. “Nine million sixty-one thousand nine hundred sixty-eight dollars for personnel,” he said. “That gives me absolutely nothing for the jail, for medical, for the cost of anything going up, tires or anything.”
He emphasized that inflation is straining every aspect of the sheriff’s office. “You guys do not understand all the things that are happening, the cost of everything going through the roof over there,” he said. “Uniforms alone, 15 to 40 percent increases that don't even exist in this budget right now. I will have to make cuts.”
Flowers argued that the county had supported local firefighters in the past, and deputies deserve the same.
“Our firefighters deserve exactly what you did for them last year,” he said. “You did an amazing job taking care of them. You did it for retention purposes because you were losing people to other agencies. I’m about to. If you guys don’t help me, I will be in a bad way.”
“We should not be the scraps at the end of the budget block,” he added.
“If I was doing something with the budget that wasn't right, these folks would hold me to account,” Flowers said, referring to his staff.
The sheriff maintained that without law enforcement, no other county services can function effectively. “None of the other things happen without the work of the men and women of law enforcement or other first responders,” he said. “I should be the foundation of the county's budget.”
The commission opted to temporarily delay the item until budget figures could be corroborated. Discrepancies between the numbers provided by the sheriff’s office and the county administrator caused confusion.
Once the meeting resumed from recess, it was right back into the fire.
“There were legit differences, but the differences were because of information he did not have,” said Aimee Cooper, Chief Financial Officer for the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office of the mismatched numbers.
Flowers stood by the ask. “I asked for 14 million dollars. There is a reason for it,” he said.
Shortly after, Flowers left the commission meeting.
During public comment, many attending residents voiced concern about potential staffing cuts and supported increased funding.
“If you get rid of the good deputies, this place is going to turn into a dump,” said James Dick of West Vero.
“I have seen some of the best of the best walk away from our agency, not because they wanted to, they had no choice,” said Dr. Angela Rosado Jones.
Once public comment ended, Flescher took to the floor.
"It was proposed that we did not address needs throughout the years. I have a much different memory," Flescher said. "I would like the county administrator to reflect the numbers that has been ticked the last few years specifically regarding sheriffs salaries."
Titkanich then pointed to the consistent increases to the budget allocated to the Sheriff's office, and potential concerns of sustainability.
"if you change the mill rate, you're going to hurt the population. there's got to be alternatives." Flescher said
Commissioners began to wrap up comment on Flower's item.
Commissioner Joseph Earman brought up his son, a law enforcement officer, and instances where he took initiative to ask Flowers about increasing salary, to which he said Flowers had different priorities, such as compression pay.
"The taxpayer is not going to stand for a millage increase," he said.
The meeting then took another break. When the meeting reconvened for the final time, Flescher again took the floor, addressing concerns and expressing sympathy for Flower's frustrations.
"We heard you. We heard the sheriff. We heard the concerns," he said. "...With that said, we want to do more. It's very difficult when you are looking at this from 18,000 ft. with over 170,00 citizens."
Concluding the item, Flescher remarked that at the moment, more time is needed. There will be two additional budget meetings until the budget cycle is completed. He also expressed a desire for an increase in open conversation moving forward.