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<\/a>Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott has forwarded the Sheriff’s Office proposed budget for fiscal year 2012-2013 to the Board of County Commissioners. The request is a $1.5 million dollar decrease from the current fiscal year adopted budget. It marks the fourth consecutive reduction in as many years, now totaling more than $21.5 million dollars, while reducing the workforce by 92 authorized positions. This year\u2019s proposed budget totals $139,197,982 dollars.<\/p>\n“With this time of economic uncertainty all local governments are facing, we have worked diligently with the County Commissioners and County Administrators to reduce our current request,\u201d said Sheriff Scott. \u201cWe are literally stretched to the limits with this budget proposal, but remain dedicated to providing the best and most professional services to the citizens of Lee County.\u201d<\/p>\n
The budget proposal includes reductions in the three primary service areas of Law Enforcement <1.09%>, Corrections < 1.67%> and Courts < 1.12%>, but also emphasizes potential challenges which could be encountered in the coming year (i.e. inmate population). Commissioners have also been provided comparison data to the past fiscal years, as well as the Sheriff’s Office Five-Year Strategic Plan and Agency Scorecard. The support documentation reveals renewed growth in population in 2011, while the year\u2019s crime rate saw a small reduction. The good news is the cumulative crime rate has declined 30% since 2007.<\/p>\n