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Avon Park council votes down study to restore city police department
Summary
After a staff presentation and public comment, a motion to hire a consultant to study reestablishing an Avon Park Police Department failed 2–2; councilors and residents pressed for clearer startup and ongoing cost figures while the Highlands County sheriff offered to share his calculations.
Dr. Kelly, a city staff member, told the Avon Park City Council at a July 24 special meeting that reestablishing a city police department would require a feasibility study, facility upgrades, equipment purchases and a multiyear hiring plan.
"So I put together a PowerPoint for tonight about establishing a new police department for Avon Park," Dr. Kelly said, laying out initial steps including an RFP for a consultant, needs assessment, staffing models and an implementation timeline.
The presentation flagged major costs: Dr. Kelly said the city's current contract with the Highlands County Sheriff's Office for the fiscal year is $2,715,224 for services plus $210,357 for patrol vehicles and projected that next year's proposed contract would be about $3.5 million. She cited peer-city annual police budgets ranging from roughly $1.7 million to $4 million and gave a rough, preliminary startup estimate of $8 million to $10 million.
Council members asked for specifics about staffing and timing. One councilor asked whether a compressed schedule was feasible; Dr. Kelly said a much faster rollout would be difficult and recommended a consultant produce detailed startup and operating-cost estimates. She estimated the cost of a study at roughly $20,000 to $40,000.
Residents at the meeting pressed elected officials on pay and retention. "If your salaries are not comparable, then you won't have any officers," public commenter Moses Amundson said, asking whether Avon Park would offer wages competitive with neighboring departments.
Brenda Gray, who said she served on the council in 2012, told the meeting the department was disbanded then "because there was so corrupt, corruptions in the police department," a recollection that several members asked the council to clarify and for the minutes to note as testimonial history rather than an established fact.
Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blachman, who attended, said much of this year's proposed contract increase reflects salary adjustments for deputies countywide. "The wording in the contract is that it's going to stay the same unless we give our deputies a 10% increase," Blachman said, explaining that wage increases and pass-through costs such as workers' compensation and pension changes affect the amount cities pay under the county contract. He also said the county currently assigns 27 deputies, detectives or sergeants to Avon Park.
After discussion, a council member moved to direct staff to pursue a feasibility study; another council member seconded the motion. The clerk conducted a roll-call vote: Council member Maguire — No; Council member Mercier — Yes; Council member Taylor — Yes; Mayor Anderson — No. The motion failed on a 2–2 vote.
Following the failed motion, Sheriff Blachman offered to share the detailed startup and operating numbers he uses and to meet with staff or council members to walk through his calculations. The council did not adopt a study contract at the meeting and the special meeting was adjourned.
The council may revisit the question later if members request another motion or accept numbers the sheriff offers; for now, no consultant has been authorized and no formal plan to reestablish a municipal police force was initiated.
