WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — When Palm Beach County Administrator Joe Abruzzo confronted the state's Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia about cutting property taxes, the issue of spending on public safety was a main point of contention.
"So now it’s the sheriff, its police’s fault, now its police’s fault," Ingoglia said during the brief exchange.
"I'm not saying it's police’s fault, I’m explaining something since you don’t understand," said Abruzzo.
According to the Palm Beach County Administrator, most of the taxpayers dollars collected in the county go to public safety, with $1.1 billion for the sheriff and approximately $700 million for fire rescue.
"If you add up all our departments there is only $609 million when you remove the first responders, and the $609 million is what he is essentially attacking and I'm trying to explain to him how it works," Abruzzo said Tuesday.
Ingoglia came to Boca Raton this week to announce Palm Beach County was overspending by $443 million, making the case for the referendum this fall that would raise the Homestead Exemption for homeowners to $250,000 in 2027 and $500,000 in 2028.
Abruzzo met Ingoglia at the news conference to invite him to sit down and go over the county's budget.
He says this year any new revenue, approximately $73 million, is already being absorbed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
"The sheriff is asking for a $94 million increase so essentially, $20 million more than we’re taking in in extra money due to new properties this year," Abruzzo said.
Palm Beach County
Sheriff's office requests more than $1 billion for budget
In a statement, PBSO responded to the budget questions, saying: "One of the most important functions of government is ensuring the safety and security of its citizens. The sheriff hopes that providing law enforcement with the resources necessary to protect our community will remain a funding priority."
Former Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes says sheriff's offices and police departments may have to look for other ways of funding in the future if tax reform passes.
“I think sheriff's offices and police departments are about to find out that they have to live by the same physics of finances that everybody else has to live, and when they do they’re not going to like it," he said.