Sheriff submits $196 million budget request, cites market pressure on pay and retention

Sheriff Dennis Lima submitted the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office proposed certified budget for fiscal year 2025–26 at $196,015,000, a 9% increase over the current year, saying the rise is driven primarily by personnel costs and market pressures on recruitment and retention.

Lima told the Board of County Commissioners that about 85% of the sheriff’s operating budget is people-related and that “this request exceeds the annual growth of property tax revenues” for the first time in his tenure. He said the increase includes a 6% market adjustment for pay, 1.5% for overtime tied to training and backfill, about 1% for higher retirement contributions and a smaller amount for health-care cost increases.

The sheriff emphasized the agency’s statutory and contracted responsibilities, saying roughly $80 million of his office’s services — about 40% of its operating budget — reflect services the board delegates to the sheriff, including correctional facility operations, county probation, school safety positions and juvenile programs. He said those “BCC-vested” services create added budgetary scope compared with some peer agencies.

In a detailed presentation, the sheriff and administrative staff outlined factors behind the request: a rising state retirement contribution (the presentation cited recent increases in Florida Retirement System contribution rates), a multi-year cycle of recruitment and attrition that raises training and overtime costs, and significant per‑hire onboarding expense he estimated at $144,000–$214,000 per deputy. The office said it has consolidated divisions, civilianized some positions and eliminated one captain slot to reduce costs where possible.

Chief Lisa Spriggs and financial director Mary Hope walked commissioners through line-item changes. The sheriff’s team said operating and capital spending is largely flat year over year after reclassifying about $1.26 million in contracted nursing services into salaries to convert those roles to full‑time staff. The presentation reported a $1.7 million budget impact tied specifically to the state’s recent increase in pension contribution rates.

Commissioners pressed on overtime and vacancy dynamics. The sheriff’s office said overtime has risen steadily because of vacancies and the time it takes to recruit, train and field new deputies; recruits in training count as paid staff while their academy and field training continue, and some positions are backfilled with overtime. The office noted the corrections function, which requires minimum staffing and 24/7 coverage, is a meaningful driver of overtime when inmate medical or hospital watch duties arise.

The sheriff described other cost‑control measures: using volunteers (the office cited roughly 40,000 volunteer hours in 2024), civilianizing investigative and forensic roles where appropriate, consolidating divisions, and operating an in‑house academy to shorten field training timelines and reduce onboarding expenses. He also cautioned that reductions in some federal grant programs, including a projected 33% reduction in certain HIDA grant funding, could reduce reimbursements the office currently relies on.

County commissioners asked for additional detail on code‑enforcement costs that transferred into the sheriff’s budget and on the jail’s capital needs. The sheriff’s office said code enforcement totaled roughly $500,000 for six fully loaded positions and noted ongoing maintenance and capital pressures in older portions of the county correctional facility. County facilities staff will work with the sheriff’s office to prioritize capital projects tied to the facility’s infrastructure.

Lima concluded by reiterating that public safety pay in the regional market has shifted rapidly and that the request is intended to align deputy pay with that market to reduce costly turnover: “It costs between 144 and $214,000 to onboard and properly train a deputy,” he said in the presentation. He submitted the budget for the board’s consideration and said he stood ready to provide additional divisional detail on request.

What’s next: The sheriff’s proposed certified budget will be available to the commission as part of the overall budget review. Commissioners signaled they will continue budget hearings and asked staff and the sheriff’s team to refine cost details and follow up on potential further civilianization and other savings.