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Belleair Shores delays FY2026 sheriff contract decision after debate over new square-mile pricing
Summary
Town commissioners postponed a vote on the FY2026 Pinellas County Sheriff contract at their June 17 meeting after the sheriff explained a 2023 change in billing from population to land area that doubled earlier charges; the Commission designated Commissioner Lally as liaison to continue talks.
The Town of Belleair Shores Commission on June 17 deferred a decision on the FY2026 Pinellas County Sheriff contract after a discussion about a 2023 change in how the county calculates contract fees.
Mayor Blume opened the conversation and thanked Sheriff Gualtieri for attending. Sheriff Gualtieri told the commission the county moved in 2023 from a population-based fee to a square-mile basis, that earlier calculations were incorrect and led to a contract amount that doubled, and that he had approved a lower rate for 2025. The sheriff said the metric reflects police presence rather than number of calls for service.
Commissioner Tolbert praised the responsiveness of deputies assigned to Belleair Shores and asked why the county used land area rather than call volume; Sheriff Gualtieri repeated that presence and coverage are the governing factors. Vice Mayor Storie proposed a one-year, partial step-in approach, moving the FY2026 budget to $52,000 with the stated intention of paying the full land-area calculation in 2027; that motion received no second and did not advance. The commission agreed to revisit the item at its July meeting and said it would notify the sheriff if it wanted him to return.
The commission also designated Commissioner Lally, by unanimous voice vote, as the town's liaison to work with the sheriff's office on the contract and related discussions.
As part of the sheriff's presentation, Sargent Bley provided May statistics for Belleair Shores: 235 events during the month, 250 unit responses, 152 directed patrols, 31 ordinance violations and 15 requested house checks. Deputies issued ten parking citations and reported no arrests in May. Deputy Trump told commissioners officers routinely patrol Gulf Boulevard and monitor both sides of the roadway.
Next steps: the commission will re-agendize the contract for the July meeting and expects liaison work between Commissioner Lally and the sheriff's office before then.
