A tentative budget workshop discussed proposed millage rates for the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday.
PHOTO BY NICOLE DROEGER
MURDOCK — The Charlotte County Commission voted Thursday to use a neutral sheriff’s budget for fiscal year 2027 during a budget workshop.
The original proposed budget valuation left the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office with a $10 million budget deficit.
“That included the $7 million increase I asked, and also an additional $3 million,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said. “I’d have to cut all of that $7 million, which I can’t do because some of that is contract obligations.”
Prummell presented the altered proposed budget of $144 million to the County Commission: $93 million for law enforcement, $39 million for courts, $6 million for detention and $5 million for dispatch.
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummel addresses the County Commission to discuss FY 26/27 tentative budgets.
PHOTO BY NICOLE DROEGER
About $11 million was saved for contracted services while CCSO had to cut services in other areas for the $10 million deficit, Prummell said.
Proposed cost reduction initiatives included reduced replacement patrol vehicle purchases, reduced jail medical expenditures, decreased airframe insurance costs for its Black Hawk helicopter, and a FEMA reimbursement for Hurricane Ian.
Reductions and reimbursements would save $4 million.
Additional cuts include 18 budgeted law enforcement positions. Prummell said 10 positions would’ve gone toward traffic enforcement.
“I was hoping to add two more traffic units,” Prummell said. “Currently, I have two traffic units that work seven days a week that switch between 12 hours. I was hoping to add two more, so I can cover more of the county.”
Prummell also proposed eliminating salary increase for deputies and reducing the number of school resource officers.
“If it comes to cutting existing positions and taking away my deputies’ pay raises, I don’t like that,” Prummell told commissioners. “I will dig my heels in and I will fight you on that.”
Commissioner Bill Truex supported Prummell’s stance.
“You should fight very hard for your folks, and I know you will,” Truex said. “You’re gonna have to have more people on the streets. This is going to be a very thoughtful discussion.”
How each tax dollar is spent for the proposed FY 26/27 maximum millage rate budget.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE COUNTY GOVERNMENT
At the end of the workshop, commissioners voted to use the neutral sheriff’s budget, which eliminates the $10 million deficit. The tentative budget total for the sheriff’s office is around $153 million.
However, the workshop only calculated the maximum amount of money that may be used for proposed budgets. Budget hearings are coming up, and the commission could cut costs and find ways to lower the maximum rate — they just can’t raise it.
“People should be aware that it’s going to be less than that,” Commissioner Stephen Deutsch said.
Prummell said he would return in September for the final budget hearings.
“We’ve already made some changes,” Prummell said. “We’ve made some additional purchases. I was able to pre-purchase patrol vehicles.”
The County Commission will set a budget hearing date during the regular and land use meeting on Tuesday.