Local Government BOCC has Last Minute Change of Heart for Deputies at Final Budget Hearing

BRADENTON – There was a packed house inside the Manatee County Commission chambers last night for the final public budget hearing. One after another, law enforcement officers and other public safety employees gave comment from the dais, blasting the commission for failing to find a way to give Manatee Sheriff Brad Steube the requested budget funding for employee raises.

The meeting opened with good fiscal news from Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker, who announced that the county health care program had been performing so well that it had accumulated a large surplus from savings. Hunzeker said that $4.3 million was available in savings that could be used for employee pay and would be addressed by the constitutional officers that head each participating agency. 

Taxable property values in Manatee County fell from $23.6 million in 2011 to $23.3 million in 2012, which is now lower than FY 2004, and more than $11 million less than their peak in 2007. Even with the 2.37 percent rollback rate enacted, the drop in values is greater than what will be taken in and the math is putting all services under a crunch. Public safety workers let the board know they were not feeling as though their sacrifices were appreciated.

Tammy Pearson, whose spouse is a 15-year deputy, invoked Sept. 11, noting the anniversary of the events that she said finally made Americans appreciate public safety workers. "Do you still feel the duties of these people are special to you?" asked an emotional Pearson.

Kevin Peas said that while people always talk about the benefits of public workers, "they forget that we are paid lower than the private sector." ”We risk our lives facing armed criminals who wouldn't give a second thought to killing us,“ Peas told the board.

April Dugan is in her 16th year with the MSO. ”There are many investigators in this room,“ she told the commissioners. ”You're dealing with fact finders.“ Dugan berated the board for failing to follow through on putting a tax increase to the public for a vote. She said that even though they didn't, the people in a sense did vote by reelecting the Sheriff by a landslide in the midst of his campaign for the raises. ”Sheriff Steube begged you guys to give it, (the raise) days before a reelection,“ said Dugan. ”He stuck his neck out and the people reelected him anyway.“

Dugan brought up the Palmetto Little League project, waving a copy of the project's original resolution. "This was signed by Commissioner Larry Bustle in 2008,“ said Dugan. ”Now here we are in 2012, just before he's up for reelection and all of a sudden there's money available for ballfields in his district, but not to pay deputies."

James Kidd, a paramedic with the county, said that there was a position advertised right now for a bartender at the civic center – a county position – that was offering a starting pay higher than his. "I have just one question for you," said Kidd. "Do you care about your community? If so, do something about it."

Workers continuously reiterated the idea that they had to choose between taking vacation or working through for the payout. We don't want to be rich, was a common slogan. We just want to be able to live. Several county workers discussed financial problems they have experienced in the time that they've not seen pay increases, including bankruptcies and foreclosures. One speaker even noted that his brother had been with the Sheriff's office only 7 years to his 14, yet made only 22 cents an hour less. Workers accused the board of ”balancing the budget on the backs of their workers.“

Workers warned that losing employees to other counties would bring training costs that could negate the money they are saving in pay raised to experienced employees, who are most likely to leave because of pay compression. The subject of unions again came up, with workers asking if commissioners thought it would be easier to deal with a union than directly with the employees who were currently pleading for only small raises.

There were also comments directed toward a recently proposed benefit change that Hunzeker had briefly brought up at Tuesday's BOCC meeting, though details had not yet been made public. As some employees understood it, county workers would be receiving a pay increase that would be taken out of paid time off benefits. Days covered for sick time, vacation and personal days would be consolidated into flat paid time off (PTO) with less total hours covered.

Commissioner Whitmore was the first commissioner to respond. She'd been the target of several sharp criticisms for a comment made at last Thursday's hearing where she reportedly told deputies in the crowd, "I’m doing my job, and if you feel you can do better, feel free to come up here.“ Deputy Dugan directed her last comment in repsonse: "In two years, you might get your wish." Whitmore apologized for her statement, saying that it was in response to deputies who were heckling her from the audience and said that after hearing the evening's stories, she was open to finding a way to make pay raises happen.

Commssioner Gallen, who was the strongest supporter of a property tax increase during the budget process, maintained his opinion that an investment in better wages to maintain public safety was worthwhile. Commissioner McClash dismissed claims that addressing the issues within the MSO would cost 60 jobs, noting that the county's reserves in its stabilization fund could be utilized, but went back to the idea that the millage must be adjusted to fix the problem long term. ”The millage rate increases we were talking about comes down to something like a dollar a month on average,“ McClash argued. ”I don't think citizens are going to be opposed to that for better public safety."

McClash also said that he'd heard that EMS employees were warned not to go before the board, and as a result the depths of the problems with employees there, some who make as little as $10 an hour with 19 employees having left since January, were not understood, suggesting that the board have periodic meetings with county employees to hear concerns before millage rates are set. McClash also addressed the benefit alterations saying flatly, that he would not support any changes. 

Commissioner Hayes agreed that deputies needed a pay increase, but said that their pay was not decided by the board but by the sheriff. "We approve an overall budget," noted Hayes, "and how that budget is spent is up to the department head. I'm glad you are here tonight telling the sheriff that it's your pay that is most important to you. I agree."

Commissioner DiSabatino took exception with Commssioner Hayes' position, saying that being a commissioner in District 2 where a disproportionate level of crime takes place, gave her a unique perception. She apologized for not being more aware of the situation with EMS and supported McClash's notion that commissioners attend more department head meetings. Commissioner Chappie reminded everyone that because trim notices had already been sent, there is no way to raise taxes at this time. The board then asked Hunzeker for guidance on their options. The administrator explained that with tax rates already set, any increases made had to come out of reserves at least for this year.

"Remember, we are already spending $20 million more each year than we take in. We are projecting that we can survive at that rate without a tax increase until there is an equilibrium, which we are projecting in fiscal year 2017." Hunzeker explained that 2017 will be the first time the board can add something to the budget without raising the same amount in taxes, otherwise the reserves will run out prior to revenues balancing, which would then force a tax increase or layoffs. "This is challenging," Hunzeker admitted.

The $4.3 million came from a switch from county healthcare services to Aetna. Hunzeker said that the recommendation was to divide the savings among departments in accordance to their participation, reminding the board that no county employees have had raises in five years. All commissioners seemed to agree that all county employees should get something from the savings, especially since most of them were unhappy with the service of the Aetna plan they were moved to, and that the savings were being promoted as the result of across-the-board healthy lifestyle improvements by all county employees.

Commissioner Larry Bustle then made a motion to provide $1.7 million in addition to the Sheriff's $1.5 million share of the healthcare savings to provide the $3.2 million he says he needs to solve the pay compression problem. It passed unanimously and then Commissioner McClash made a motion to not touch benefits this year which also passed unanimously. McClash also said he wanted to make sure that other county employees understood that it would not be coming out of money that would otherwise go to other county employees, and that no layoffs would be made to pay for it. Hunzeker also explained that the money for the Little League project came out of park impact fees paid by developers and could not possibly have been used for anything other than parks.

Sheriff Steube then approached the podium and took Commissioner Hayes to task for her comments, noting that every year he gives a budget presentation to her and the rest of the board, showing how much of the budget went to pay, what that amount was, and what he needed to address compensation issues – like compression that was caused by increasing starting pay to be come more competitive with other agencies coupled with pay freezes for experienced deputies leading to new employees making as much or more than their senior deputies.

”85 percent of budget is personnel, 1.7 (percent) is capital and the rest is operating,“ said Steube. ”We are at bare bones.“ Hayes had stepped out of the room prior, which Steube made reference to as well. ”Maybe someone can pull the tape and give it to her,“ he quipped.  

The board then voted to set the final county-wide 6.2993 millage rate, which passed unanimously. Click here for the full budget presentation and a detailed breakdown of the millage assessment rates.