Sheriff seeks $128.5 million budget citing staffing, retirement and fuel cost pressures

The Martin County Sheriff's Office presented a $128,462,075 FY27 tentative budget request to the Board of County Commission on July 13, describing staffing needs, a recently enacted Florida Retirement System cost increase and day‑to‑day operational pressures.

The sheriff told commissioners the department's requested increase (7.6%) is driven in part by previously bargained wage progressions and an unexpected state‑level 1.5% COLA for a special FRS class that raised the office's pension bill by about $1.3 million. The sheriff said the department hired 85 employees over the past year — about 12% of the workforce — to replenish vacancies, and that the office remains competitive with nearby jurisdictions after salary adjustments.

"Our total total budget request this year is $128,462,075, a percentage adjustment of 7.6%," the sheriff said. He outlined operational statistics: 175,603 calls for service over the last year, 5,188 arrests, 3,338 crashes and an average daily jail population of 585.

The sheriff also cited rising costs across multiple lines including health insurance and fuel, noting the office uses about 1,000 gallons of fuel per day. The presentation listed several requested positions including public records coordinators, a pretrial coordinator and correctional deputies; the sheriff said some positions are cost‑savings over time (pretrial coordinator) while others address immediate operational needs.

Commissioners asked for patrol and arrest numbers and discussed recruitment and retention; the board moved and passed tentative approval of the sheriff's budget unanimously.