Are Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers and the county commissioners ready to resolve their differences over the Sheriff’s Office 2025-2026 budget? A meeting next week could decide.
Both sides are optimistic the issue will be resolved and the Flowers’ lawsuit against the county will be dropped. Commissioners held a two-hour closed-door session April 7 with their attorney to discuss a potential settlement.
The discussion centered around how to resolve the pending lawsuit, Commission Chair Deryl Loar said.
The special meeting has been scheduled for 9 a.m. April 14.
“It’s certainly progress,” said Loar, himself a former sheriff. “I feel very confident” a settlement will be reached.
Flowers also was optimistic a resolution would be reached.
“It sounds like we are getting close to a deal,” Flowers said. “Hopefully, once the deal is signed off on, they’ll vote to move forward with it, and we can close out our budget dispute.”
Lawyers for both sides are working on a settlement, to be discussed April 14, Flowers said. Terms were not immediately available.
Indian River County Sheriff’s Office sues County Commission over budget squabble
Last year, Flowers and the county were deadlocked for nearly seven months over his 2025-2026 budget request. He initially asked for $91.1 million, but the County Commission cut his allocation to $85.8 million. While that was a $6.9 million increase over 2024-2025, it was more than $5 million short of what Flowers wanted.
In October, Flowers sued the County Commission in an attempt to get approval of his full $91.1 million request, according to the Sheriff’s Office attorney. Filed Oct. 2, the lawsuit alleges the County Commission failed to follow the state Sunshine Law and failed to provided a detailed breakdown of its proposed Sheriff’s Office budget during a public meeting.
Sheriff Eric Flowers speaks to Indian River County Commissioners, Oct. 20, 2025, during a special call meeting regarding the 2025-2026 Sheriff’s budget.
That alleged refusal, the lawsuit claims, hindered the ability of Flowers and his staff to amend the budget.
The possible settlement could have been sparked by a condolences letter Flowers sent to the County Commission after two employees, Danny Ooley and Stacie Mason, were fatally shot in the parking lot of the Main Library last month.
Two people found dead after reported shooting outside Florida library
In the March 26 letter, Flowers also asks whether the two parties could resolve the lawsuit outside of courts and Tallahassee intervention.
“As gas prices rise and other expenses continue to increase, being properly funded remains vital to our mission. I continue to be willing to resolve our budget dispute without the intervention of the Cabinet or the courts.”
Flowers’ letter concluded with an invitation to meet with commissioners individually to “find common ground.”
The letter already has prompted meetings with four of the five commissioners, Flowers said.
Colleen Wixon is the Indian River County government watchdog reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida sheriff, county move closer to end 2026 budget dispute