INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers is asking county commissioners to allocate $5,210,916.01 in excess funds returned by various county departments to his office's 2026 budget as a way to resolve an ongoing budget disagreement that has led to legal action.
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In a letter to Chairman Joseph Flescher and the Board of County Commissioners, Flowers proposed using the returned funds to "almost satisfy" his department's request for an additional $12.2 million for fiscal year 2026.
The sheriff said the solution would not require a tax increase, would not draw from county reserves, and would not impact current county budget items or projects.
"In an effort to end our ongoing budget disagreement and refocus our collective efforts on service to the citizens of Indian River County, I would like to propose the following solution," Flowers wrote.
The $5.2 million represents excess funds returned to the county's general fund by five departments and constitutional officers:
- Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers: $1,417,951.16
- Tax Collector Carole Jean Jordan: $2,586,182.48
- Clerk of Court Ryan Butler: $592,379.60
- Property Appraiser Wesley Davis: $546,039.37
- Supervisor of Elections Leslie Swan: $68,363.40
Flowers requested the matter be placed on the commissioners' Nov. 18 meeting agenda. He said if the board supports and votes for the proposal, he is prepared to rescind his appeal to the state Cabinet and dismiss an active Writ of Mandamus filed in Circuit Court.
"As I have said, I never wanted to file a lawsuit against you and want to work together to keep our community a great place to live work and play," Flowers wrote.
The sheriff described the solution as providing "a painless resolution to our dispute" that satisfies current budget needs while serving the citizens of Indian River County.
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