Alachua County commissioners requested a delay of hearing Sheriff Sadie Darnell’s budget appeal yesterday. County Commissioner Susan Baird said the 45-day delay is meant to give Governor Rick Scott time to sign an important piece of legislation.
“We decided to go ahead and sign the letter, and the sheriff did as well, and that way we can go ahead and give it another 45 days. And that would be to confirm that governor Rick Scott is going to implement his program to have the workers, county workers or government workers, to take three per cent of their money and put it towards their retirement account,” Baird said.
This would lower the amount the government would have to contribute to employee pension plans. These savings would just about bridge the $507,000 gap between Darnell’s proposed budget and county approved budget. Baird says she’s confident the governor will sign the legislation.
It sounds like it’s basically a done deal, and now we’re just going to wait for it to become formal or finalized, and that way we can count on that money. And if it doesn’t, well then, the appeal still goes forward and we’ll see what the governor decides anyway for the appeal,” she said.