Sheriff’s Office spending too much in the wrong places
To the editor:
With foreclosures nearly the nation’s highest, Lee County still spends money unchecked. I just can’t seem to put it right in my mind.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has the largest County budget. The Sheriff wastes a lot, too.
I was a lieutenant with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. I know how things are supposed to be, so it upsets me when I see such waste.
Recently, I did a public records request of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and I learned some astounding things. The Sheriff has a Public Information Bureau, staffed with law enforcement officers, public information officers, and a full television studio dedicated to making videos and website development. What troubles me is that the Sheriff recently paid CSM, a media firm out of Land O Lakes, $112,500 to create videos of him to put on evening TV. Why spend so much money on a far-away media firm when he has all the equipment and personnel to do so right here at home? What is the Sheriff thinking?
And, let’s look at his staff. The Sheriff has not given his line personnel any raises for years now (though he gives money back to the Commission). But, he gives high dollar raises to high ranking staff. A records request revealed he created two positions worth about $130k a year each (more when one factors in benefits). He gave two top staffers a raise over $10,000, a pilot a $24,499.90 raise and an attorney a raise of $19,607. These raises are more than what some of us make in a year!
With the second highest rate of foreclosure in the United States, and with the large number of unemployed, how is it that we, the Lee County taxpayers, are responsible for such frivolous and irresponsible spending? When is enough really enough?
Lee Bushong
Lehigh Acres