The Osceola County Public Safety Commission set its 2007-2008 law enforcement budget Wednesday night, and there are plenty of unhappy folks as a result.
They have every right to be. The budget of $878,500 -- $40,000 less than what was requested by Sheriff Doug Weber -- leaves an already pinched law enforcement agency in a potentially dangerous fiscal situation.
During Wednesday's well-attended commission meeting, concerns about high-mileage squad cars, old equipment and low wages were expressed. Weber himself recalled a recent high-speed chase involving the department's highest-mileage car, which has rolled up more than 170,000 miles on its odometer. As a result, he added, $1,000 was spent this week alone on repairs to the vehicle.
By not fully funding Weber's budget request, the department will be forced to make do with what they've got for the upcoming year. And, even if more money is allotted to the sheriff's department during the next budget cycle, it seems probable that something needing replacement then will be delayed in order to purchase something needed now.
These concerns don't even take into account wage issues and slim staffing that Weber and others feel contribute to low morale among law enforcement employees. The funding shortfall, however, transcends more than the sheriff, his support staff and what's required to perform their job. The bottom line: This is an important public safety issue.
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We're well aware that are other county entities that require funding. Money, clearly, is tight. But clearly something is amiss somewhere -- perhaps the county's funding formula, or undervalued properties -- and, as a result, living in Osceola County just got a lot less safe.
