Lee County Sheriff Scott proposes $160M budget

LEE COUNTY, Fla.- Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott is asking for $160 million for next year’s budget.

Most of that money would go toward capital improvements.

WINK News spoke to Sheriff Scott Monday afternoon about his 2015-2016 budget.

Sheriff Scott says the budget he is proposing was his operating budget seven years ago.

During the recession, the office tightened its budget and now it needs to play catch up, replacing and upgrading equipment and vehicles lost during that time.

The sheriff says Lee County continues to be one of the fastest growing areas in the nation and wants to expand his staff and add 35 new positions. But, his upgrades do not include body cameras.

“This does not include something like a mandate of body cameras. Right now, body cameras are optional and of course we and many of the others are experimenting, testing them out and seeing how that will unfold but if it becomes mandatory, let’s say at the federal level, and it could, that’s a whole new dynamic.”

The proposed budget represents a 7 1/2 percent increase over LCSO’s current budget.

Commissioners will have the final decision on how much money the sheriff’s office will get. They are expected to approve a county budget by late September.