Broward commissioner Steve Geller visits Southwest Ranches, warns of sheriff budget fight and urges recycling over incineration

Broward County Commissioner Steve Geller told an audience in Southwest Ranches that the county faces a potentially consequential budget fight with the sheriff’s office and that he is prioritizing economic development and climate resilience.

Geller said the sheriff had submitted a significantly larger budget request this year and warned that accommodating a very large increase would require cuts elsewhere or raise property taxes. He said the county cannot give the sheriff’s request as presented and that the board will push back; he framed the issue as a countywide conversation about priorities and fiscal balance.

On climate and water management, Geller said Broward County has allocated $3.5 million to an engineering study to address sea‑level rise and that the South Florida Water Management District has agreed to match that amount. He said the county is seeking inclusion of the project in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ budget and that federal support would be necessary to fund the large‑scale work engineers say is required. Geller described the scale of the fix as large — involving salinity control barriers, pumps and berm upgrades — and said the study and eventual construction could take many years.

Geller also addressed solid‑waste planning and the regional discussion about waste‑to‑energy options. He said the Solid Waste Authority will publish a report and that a public engagement meeting was scheduled; he cautioned that no zoning application is pending for a plant adjacent to Southwest Ranches but said he has “seen no evidence” that a new incinerator is a good idea and that political opposition would make siting in Southwest Broward unlikely. He encouraged residents to participate in the Solid Waste Authority’s public meeting to influence policy and to support recycling and composting efforts.

Residents asked follow‑up questions about recycling rates, ash disposal, and whether a proposed regional facility would increase toxic ash shipments to landfills; Geller acknowledged the disposal challenge and said trucking residuals to Okeechobee County is one of the available options if incineration is used.

Geller closed by listing his outreach plans — quarterly meetings with stakeholders and a public luncheon scheduled for Oct. 1 — and invited residents to contact his office about county services and priorities.

The county commissioner’s remarks framed several issues the town has been tracking — from flood risk and drainage to waste‑management options — and pointed residents to the Solid Waste Authority meeting and the county’s forthcoming engineering study as the next public‑process steps.