Budget conference: Jacksonville Sheriff appears headed for disappointment in vehicle funding request

Image via T.K. Waters.

Budget conferences continue in Tallahassee, and one of the outstanding issues between the House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice involves a Jacksonville request for a Mobile Investigative Command Vehicle.

At this writing, the House is willing to fund the project for just $200,000, while the Senate is holding to a much higher $750,000 number.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) has nearly a $600 million budget, meaning either appropriation would be a rounding error for T.K. Waters’ force. But both the House and the Senate are far short of the original $1,155,027 ask from Republican Sen. Clay Yarborough and Republican Rep. Jessica Baker.

It’s not quite certain why JSO went for money for this project from the state given its robust local funding, though the claim that the vehicle may be deployed to other counties during mutual aid scenarios might be the best justification.

The budget request said the vehicle “will allow for a more complete and rapid response to major emergencies and investigations throughout the city.”

“By serving as an on-scene command post, detectives will have access to additional resources and communications equipment allowing them to be more efficient and effective in the field,” the justification continued.

The explanation for the expected benefit of the project was likewise nebulous.

“The vehicle will dramatically enhance the agency’s on-scene coordination and response times. Its success can be measured by the agency’s improved efficiency when managing critical incidents and conducting investigations.”

JSO did not engage a lobbyist for this project, counting on it getting through the process guided by the legislative sponsors.