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Council asks staff and sheriff’s office to itemize Brooksville policing contract before further changes
Summary
Brooksville council directed the city manager to meet with Hernando County Sheriff’s Office staff to obtain an itemized description of the services paid for under the city’s law-enforcement contract and to return with clear, line-item figures for council and public review.
Council members asked the city manager to follow up with Hernando County Sheriff’s Office staff and request an itemized breakdown of the contract that provides Brooksville with dedicated deputies, detective time, supervisory coverage and other services.
Why it matters: The city currently contracts with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office for additional law-enforcement services beyond base county coverage. Council members sought clarity about exactly what the city pays for — the number of dedicated deputies on 12-hour shifts, detective assignments, supervisory time, communications costs, and building lease payments — and what the fiscal alternatives would be if the city reduced or reconfigured the contract.
What the sheriff said: Sheriff Neehuis (identified in the meeting as the Hernando County Sheriff) described how eight deputies are funded by the city as part of the contract and explained that those deputies provide two on-duty positions inside the city 24 hours per day, seven days a week (backfilling with county deputies when necessary). The sheriff asked council to confirm whether it wanted fewer assigned deputies; he said he would be willing to negotiate but emphasized that reductions in assigned deputies would reduce the level of service and change response-time expectations.
Council direction: City staff and Hernando County Sheriff’s Office staff will prepare an itemized breakdown of the current contract and discuss possible reconfigurations. The city manager will coordinate that work with county fiscal counterparts and return recommendations for council consideration; council requested that staff outline the service and budget tradeoffs so residents can judge the options.
Next steps: Staff will schedule follow-up meetings between city and sheriff fiscal staff, prepare an itemized contract breakdown and publish comparative response-time and cost data ahead of further council action.
