Okeechobee Sheriff Not Happy With Budget Cuts

Drug Dealers Smiling "Ear To Ear" Says Sheriff


OKEECHOBEE, FL. -- On August 8, 2013, Okeechobee County, Florida Sheriff  Paul C. May addressed the Board of County Commissioners in reference to the Sheriff's Office budget after learning that the Sheriff's budget may be cut by $2 Million resulting in a layoff of possibly 45 people from the department.

Sheriff May issued this statement addressed to the Okeechobee County Commission members:

“I just returned yesterday afternoon from a Sheriff’s Office related meeting in Marco Island. A lot happened in our County while I was gone, I have turned in a budget to you but you have given me a number that you think I should operate my department on.

That number is 12.8 million dollars which takes me back to the 2004/2005 budget and in that budget we did not run Courthouse Security, so you have actually taken me back further than that.

I can tell you that in my office the mood is very somber and my employees cannot understand why, that within the last five years, they have assisted me in cutting 3.5 million dollars from the Sheriff’s Office budget, when they have done more with less, we have made the Sheriff’s Office budget work and kept Okeechobee County a safe environment to live in.

They wonder why you now are cutting them now well over 2 million dollars and they know the only way we can do this is by laying off approximately 45 people and they know better than anyone else what this is going to do the safety of the people of this county.

My employees have no reason to smile but there are some people in Okeechobee County that are smiling at this budget. That is the drug dealers, the gang members and the thieves that are smiling from ear to ear, because they see how much easier they can do what they do and get away with it.

I will appeal this budget to the Governor and Cabinet in Tallahassee. I will be meeting with some news media later today and I wanted you to hear this from me and not read it in the paper or hear it on the street. Thank you for your time.”