BOGART Recommended by The St. Petersburg Times!

Voters determined much of Pasco County's near-term law enforcement strategies in January when they approved new property tax exemptions that reduced property tax revenue to the county by nearly $17-million in the coming fiscal year. No longer are there debates over how many deputies to add to the payroll, but rather how to best use the existing personnel. So, a question for voters to consider Aug. 26 is who is best prepared to lead the Pasco County Sheriff's Office in the face of limited resources now and in the near future.

Democrats

Kim Bogart, 56, (his name is on the ballot as K.S. Bogart) a police consultant and a former major and captain under Pasco Sheriffs Jim Gillum and Lee Cannon, has the knowledge and professional experience to run the Sheriff's Office. He is executive director of the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission, and spent his early career in the city of Tampa Police Department.

Bogart is heavy on criticism of the incumbent, but gives short-shrift to concerns about his own role as a high-level commander in the two troubled administrations preceding White's. Saying you were out of the loop and doing what you were told isn't much of an accounting considering Gillum's misconduct and the Cannon administration's inability to decipher the department's own capabilities.

Still, Bogart's role studying other police agencies for the past seven years provides him a unique insight that his opponent cannot match.

The other Democrat is Jeffrey Deremer, a 15-year probation and parole officer with the Florida Department of Corrections in Pasco. Deremer likes to point he is the only Pasco native, and, at 38, the youngest candidate running for sheriff. He talks passionately about improving law enforcement in his home county, but he also offers an illogical suggestion that voters should entrust him with an 1,100-employee, $85-million agency because past supervisors-turned-sheriffs performed poorly.

Deremer simply lacks the administrative experience to run the Sheriff's Office. His answer to cost challenges is to try to get more money from convicted criminals via a new tax. Considering restitution requirements, court costs and other expenses assessed via the criminal justice system, don't expect a new crime tax to produce significant revenue for the Sheriff's Office.

Democrats seeking to nominate their strongest candidate for the November general election should choose Bogart in the Aug. 26 primary.

St. Petersburg Times, In print: Sunday, August 17, 2008

UNION VOTE EXPRESSES NO CONFIDENCE IN SHERIFF

In a 183-14 vote, Pasco's unionized deputies declared no confidence in their boss, Sheriff Bob White.

"In order to be an effective leader, the people you're leading have to be willing and able to follow you," said James Preston, state president of the Fraternal Order of Police.

About 73 percent of union members cast ballots. The FOP counts 271 members, but it doesn't represent all Pasco deputies. Throughout the Sheriff's Office, about 425 law enforcement officers are eligible for union membership.

The vote is purely symbolic and has no effect on White's office. But local president John Connolly said he hopes the outcome sends a message to the public, which will see White's name on the ballot this year.

White responded with an e-mailed statement.

"The voters of Pasco County elected me to keep this community safe and secure. This is my primary duty, and I will do whatever it takes to fulfill this duty," White said. "I have been a member of the union and worked with the union. This is not about protecting deputies and their families - this is about union heads looking out for union heads and playing election-year politics."

Since forming in 2006 during friendly relations with White, the union has gone through rounds of bitter contract talks, deadlocking with the administration over issues like medical insurance for retirees and discipline appeals.

In March, White broke an impasse with the deputies and supervisors units when he imposed a labor contract. The union challenged his authority to do so; that lawsuit is pending.

The same month, jail deputies voted 132-62 to drop their FOP representation.

All the while, union literature has criticized the sheriff's spending decisions and his public support of the revenue-cutting Amendment 1, all of which, the union says, adds up to less resources to fight crime.

"We have a really big concern for the safety of the citizens and the safety of the deputies," Connolly said.

Bobby Sullivan, a retired vice lieutenant challenging White in the Republican primary, said the vote "exemplifies the lack of leadership."

"It's a very difficult situation when your law enforcement officers have no confidence in their leadership," Sullivan said. "And I think it's been exemplified by the continually increasing crime rate, the lack of services, the exodus of highly qualified officers to other agencies."

White, who is seeking a third term, also faces two Democratic challengers and another with no party affiliation.

Democratic challenger Kim Bogart said, "The men and women who cast the votes are the same people who protect us daily. Their vote of no-confidence speaks volumes."

Jeff Deremer, the other Democrat in the race, did not return a call seeking comment. Bobby Kinzy, the independent candidate, called the vote a "black eye."

"The members of the sheriff's department just don't have any faith in this administration," he said.

Molly Moorhead can be reached at moorhead@sptimes.com or (727) 869-6245.

Credit: Times Staff Writer

Union Evaluating Sheriff's Performance

By LISA A. DAVIS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 26, 2008

Updated:

For more than a week, unionized Pasco County deputies have been secretly grading their boss's performance, but the tally so far remains under lock and key.

The local Fraternal Order of Police called for a "vote of no confidence" in Sheriff Bob White. The official in-person polling began June 17 and the absentee voting is expected to continue through at least Friday.

Though a no-confidence vote in itself wouldn't automatically trigger White's removal from office, the hope is that it sends a pointed message to Pasco voters as the Aug. 26 primary approaches.

"It's important for the public to know before the primary election what the deputies think of their leadership," said Paul Noeske, FOP staff representative.

White declined to comment on the vote.

As of Wednesday, about 150 of the nearly 270 eligible deputies had cast their vote, said Lt. Gary Kling, president of FOP Lodge 29 Supervisors Bargaining Unit. He doesn't expect the final tally to be favorable to White.

"Obviously, we'd be surprised if there was confidence in the sheriff," Noeske said Wednesday.

Since the local chapter's inception two years ago, the union and White have butted heads repeatedly.

Atop the list of reasons union leaders called for the vote is that they think White "has been disingenuous in negotiating a contract with unionized deputies." Both sides have yet to agree on an official contract.

The union also thinks the sheriff's disciplinary process isn't fair, and they don't want him to have the final say about one-rank demotions. Instead, they want an outside arbitrator to decide such matters.

The membership also is upset the sheriff recently canceled tuition reimbursement for employees.

Until Saturday, a ballot box was set up and monitored at the order's lodge in Land O' Lakes. Deputies must sign a log, but the vote they cast is a secret.

Deputies who were not able to vote at the lodge can do so either by meeting FOP leaders in person or by verified e-mail balloting, Kling said.

Until all of the votes are cast - FOP leaders hope to get 75 percent of their members - ballots won't be counted.

"I'm the only one who has the key," Kling said.

Once the votes are in and counted, the union board will decide how to proceed.

WHITE LEAVES $1.5M UNSPENT

Last August, Sheriff Bob White proclaimed he was en route "to the poorhouse" when his agency's budget wasn't as big as he wanted.

He accused county officials of "messing around." He said cuts were being forced on "the backs of my deputies."

But when the last bill is paid this year, White plans to leave $1.5-million unspent.

In his May 29 proposal for the next budget year, the sheriff said he directed his department heads to cut costs "without sacrificing our core mission." White will return that $1.5-million to county coffers, assuming no unexpected problems come up.

Sheriff's officials could not provide a line-by-line breakdown of the savings to the PascoTimes, but said $1-million is coming from salaries. Jobs stayed open much of the year, and overtime and holiday pay were kept low. With the county's murder rate down since October, investigative expenses, especially overtime pay, also have been less than expected, spokesman Kevin Doll said.

"Murders are usually the cases that take up the most investigative time and resources," he said.

The Sheriff's Office trimmed more than $20,000 when it stopped buying bottled water for deputies. It expects to save money on fuel by ending personal use privileges of agency cars by off-duty deputies.

Beyond that, it's normal belt-tightening.

"It is expected that each cost center manager will make every effort to economize and use best purchasing practices and agency rules to procure goods and services as needed to perform agency functions," according to the agency's written explanation to the Times.

"Could I have used the money? No question," the sheriff said. "We've just tried to cut everything to the bone."

Asked if he was surprised that White found leftover money after his ominous warnings a year ago, County Commissioner Michael Cox giggled. "Stranger things have happened," he said.

Budget director Mike Nurrenbrock, whose proposed cuts were criticized by sheriff's officials last year, stayed silent.

"What's the next question?" he asked.

Embracing reality

The excess money is one issue confronting county officials as they wade into the sheriff's budget. Last year, officials had a protracted showdown with the sheriff over his spending plan. This year, both sides say they hope to avoid bickering.

But potential hiccups exist. Though White has proposed spending less money, the county expects to receive a lot less tax money next year. The sheriff offers a $1.1-million cut that is a fraction of the $7-million cut that top county officials suggested. So the County Commission will have to decide how much to hack - just like last year.

And every dollar cut in the sheriff's budget allows county officials to spend more in departments they actually control.

Last year, White wanted $11.2-million more, a 13 percent increase to pay for 109 new jobs. He got a $2.6-million increase - and a lot of grief from county officials grappling with a cap on property tax revenue after years of growth.

The Sheriff's Office uses about half of the county property taxes for its $86-million budget this year. But the general fund will take an estimated $17-million hit in the next budget year under the new property tax amendment. The new budget cycle starts Oct. 1. Noting those circumstances, White - who campaigned for the amendment last fall - proudly emphasized his latest budget request would spend $1.1-million less than this year.

"This budget," White said, "is about embracing reality."

But Commission Chairman Ted Schrader countered: "Until the vote was taken, I'm not sure the sheriff fully knew what the property owners were going through in meeting their property tax needs and what they were going through in paying their bills."

The sheriff's budget funds no new jobs and no raises - as County Administrator John Gallagher requested.

"We'd be thrilled to death if this was enough," said Col. Al Nienhuis, the undersheriff.

It probably won't be. Gallagher and the budget office asked White for a $7-million reduction, an 8 percent cut.

"I don't see how it can be anything but closer to the $7-million figure," Schrader said.

Other county departments face cuts approaching 20 percent. Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley proposed spending almost 10 percent less. County Clerk Jed Pittman offered to spend 5 percent less. Property Appraiser Mike Wells plans to spend about 1 percent less.

Return the savings?

Another complication is that White's version of a reduction comes with expensive strings attached. He did not include money to run the three-story Land O'Lakes jail addition, which is now under construction. Each floor is estimated to cost $1.4-million to run, although the county anticipates possibly using only one floor next year.

About $1.8-million was set aside for that last year.

White also asked that the $1.5-million his agency saved this year be earmarked for his office next year.

Adding back the savings or paying for the jail makes the sheriff's budget increase instead of decrease.

But Cox and Schrader said they are open to giving the Sheriff's Office back the money. While it's the board's call, Nurrenbrock said the county has never earmarked such a large carryover for a single department, preferring to spread the money around.

The question for commissioners, however, may be: Who needs the money the most?

"Would I fund a deputy before we fund street maintenance?" Cox asked. "Absolutely."

David DeCamp can be reached at ddecamp@sptimes.com or (800) 333-7505, ext. 6232.

SHERIFF OFFERS HOPEFUL PLAN, BUT IT MAY BE $6 MILLION SHY OF WHAT IS NEEDED

Sheriff Bob White submitted a hope-for-the-best budget Friday that freezes salaries, includes no layoffs, cuts no programs and reduces spending by more than $1-million from last year's levels.

County officials have warned White to be prepared to absorb a much deeper cut - $7-million in the worst case - as his agency's portion of an overall $17-million hit Pasco is bracing to take, due to slipping property values and recent tax reforms.

"If I have to take a $7-million hit next year, that's going to be hard," White told reporters Friday. "I'm just trying to soften the blow."

But drastic cuts are being seen everywhere else. Pasco budget director Mike Nurrenbrock said some county departments are looking at reductions of at least 5 percent.

A cut like that would be $4-million of White's $85-million budget. By contrast, Pinellas Sheriff Jim Coats is eliminating 161 positions to save $11-million from his $261-million budget.

Commissioner Michael Cox wondered if White is being too optimistic. The sheriff's budget consumes more than half of Pasco's property tax revenue in the general fund.

"It's not realistic given the fact of the current economic climate that we're in," Cox said.

White's proposed budget also omits some $4-million that will be needed to staff an addition to the county jail. The three-story annex broke ground last month and is expected to be completed next summer.

White wrote in a memo to the County Commission that he will probably need to start hiring new jail staff in three months in order to have them trained by opening day.

"This will almost certainly require an amendment to this budget submission," White wrote.

He said in the news conference he hopes to hire staff and move in inmates to just the first floor, then add more people later if money is available.

Nurrenbrock said there is money in reserve for staffing, probably enough to put guards on the first floor.

White said he has trimmed $1.5-million from the current year's budget in hopes the money will be returned to the Sheriff's Office next year.

County Commission Chairman Ted Schrader, who publicly tangled with White over his budget requests last year, called that a reasonable request.

He said White's proposed budget, at first glance, is "a move in the right direction." Ultimately the County Commission decides how much money to give the Sheriff's Office for the next budget year, which begins Oct. 1.

One bright spot in the budget is a $50,000 allocation for gap insurance to cover medical care for employees who retire after 30 years of service but are not yet eligible for Medicare.

Gap insurance has been a issue between White and the deputies' union. Since the union formed in 2006, the two sides have yet to sign a contract.

John Connolly, a detective and president of the deputies union, said the inclusion of gap insurance is "absolutely a step in the right direction."

"We're happy about that," he said. "We don't know what took so long."

White said he added the insurance this year because, once the county's firefighters union secured the benefit, the time was ripe for deputies.

"I've been for it all along," he said. "But I have to have a line item in the budget. I don't usually put things in my budget that I don't think I'm going to get.

"This year, I know the county is good to go."

Molly Moorhead can be reached at moorhead@sptimes.com or (727) 869-6245.

Letter to the Editor

Vote wisely in sheriff election | April 30, letter

Bogart is the most qualified

I immediately thought the letter writer has an axe to grind or an alternative motive. It is true that Kim Bogart started his career at the Tampa Police Department. Mr. Bogart worked himself up through the ranks and served in dangerous positions risking his life to protect the public. During his 16 years at the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, he was recognized for his leadership qualities by being asked to serve in command level positions under two sheriffs.

Mr. Bogart has a bachelor and master's degree in business administration, along with being an award-winning, nationally recognized expert in corrections and law enforcement. Given the fact that the Sheriff's Office is an $86-million enterprise, I believe that Mr. Bogart has the qualifications and is prepared to lead the agency.

He is certainly more qualified than his primary opponent, who is only a probation officer and has never supervised anyone. In addition, the current sheriff only supervised seven people before being elected sheriff and he only has an associate's degree.

Darren Carpenter,

Spring Hill

Endorsement by The Watchdog

The Watchdog researches candidates for Pasco County public office and endorses Bogart. For information, see: www.watchdogflorida.com