According to memo from Jean Kassab, Escambia County Sheriff Ron McNesby is asking for $76,706,683 which is $2,993,317 less than his current budget – 3.75 percent cut. This is still more than his 2005-06 actual expenses ($70,420,168) and his 2006-07 budget ($76,437,796).
The county estimates Amendment 1 will have a $12,000,000 reduction in property tax receipts – about 8.9 percent of the current $133,791,557 ad valorem taxes.
Shouldn’t the ESCO cut its budget more like $7,093,300 to reach the 8.9 threshold? If the sheriff did that, the county would only have to come up with another $5,000,000 in cuts to reach $12 million needed.