Sheriff defends $3.9M request to raise deputy pay, says LPR maintenance is separate

Sheriff Rob Hardwick answered commissioner questions at the Sept. 3 hearing and framed the sheriff's FY2027 increase as primarily a pay and retention issue for line deputies.

"That additional $3,900,000 will give our deputy sheriffs a $9,000 increase in their pay," Hardwick said, adding that the increase is targeted at positions below the rank of sergeant. He said staffing and retention are threatened by neighboring agencies — particularly Jacksonville — moving to the Florida Retirement System and offering higher pay and retirement benefits.

Hardwick said the county has used license-plate reader technology in various forms since 2017 and that roughly $908,000 was spent on LPR technology; a grant covered most of that amount and approximately $481,000–$500,000 remains in the sheriff's FY27 budget request for ongoing maintenance and software updates. He also said the office has ordered a full internal audit of tag queries and usage and will provide results to commissioners when available.

The commission approved the tentative budget without altering the sheriff's requests; final allocations may be revisited at the Sept. 15 hearing.