Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony has announced that he is suspending budget talks with the Broward County Commission.
Tony announced the decision on social media, citing an ongoing Office of the Statewide Prosecutor's investigation into the county commission.
"As the Statewide Prosecutor’s case continues, I will not comment on or discuss investigative details. The Statewide Prosecutor must be able to conduct this work, and every person is entitled to due process," he said in the post.
"This decision is to protect the people of Broward County from unnecessary disruption, uncertainty or questions about whether budget discussions could be influenced by the investigation. It is not a judgment about the investigation’s outcome."
That investigation was made public when all nine members of the commission and multiple high-ranking county officials were subpoenaed last month. That’s after the County approved feasibility studies, analyzing the prospect of Broward standing up its own law enforcement departments to serve Port Everglades and the Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport.
The County has already approved ending its 25-year relationship with BSO to provide fire rescue services for the County and is weighing the removal of 911 operations as well.
Tony appealed his budget to the state last year, asking for an additional $73 million more than the County allocated. Tony has long stated that his department needed additional money to raise BSO salaries across the board. The goal is to stay competitive for candidates amid a slump in law enforcement and fire rescue applications. In a response sent to the state, the County created a report of Tony's alleged "financial mismanagement" and said that Tony has “transferred money away from salaries to pay for preferred projects” in the past and that the agency “has otherwise mismanaged its own budget, at taxpayer expense.”
READ MORE: Broward County alleges sheriff’s ‘financial mismanagement’ amid bitter budget feud
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