Sunrise Mayor Wants Audit of BSO 911

BY BUDDY NEVINS
Sunrise Mayor Mike Ryan has asked the county’s auditor and Inspector General to give him the “legal justification” for using tax money from the entire county to pay for 911 service in just a group of select cities.
His request comes one day after the County Commission turned down a 911 plan for the entire county.  Ryan was a member of the committee that recommended the regional plan.
His e-mail is self-explanatory.  It is below:
XXXXX
From: Ryan, Michael
Sent: Tue 3/19/2013 8:22 PM
To: elukic@broward.org
Cc: county commission, BSO
Subject: Communications Funding Through County Funds To Contract Cities and Otherwise
Mr. Lukic:
On behalf of Sunrise residents, I am requesting the County Auditor’s office perform an analysis of the communications funding presently being provided through the County General Fund tax dollars to BSO in two discrete areas
1.  Presently, the County Commission estimates that $19,000,000 is provided to BSO to fund communications functions for contract cities and/or enterprise operations.   That is, BSO has entered into contract with certain cities for services.  However, apparently BSO has taken the position those contracts do not sufficiently cover the costs of call taking and/or dispatch services and/or both.  In fact, the County sent “bills” out to cities in 2011, but never followed through on collection from the cities.
As a result, for some reason, the County Commission has taken $19,000,000 in countywide ad valorem dollars, some of which must have come from Sunrise residents because there is no special taxing district or MSTU process in place to provide the funds.  
(a) What is the actual amount that has been diverted from the General Fund County budget (and or other accounts derived from countywide ad valorem) and shunted to off-set contract city costs?  
(b) For how long has this been the case?
(c) What is the legal authority for diversion of these General Fund dollars to BSO to off-set communications services for select cities?
2. As you know, we have a new Sheriff.  He has inherited contracts previously entered into and the accounting for those contracts. 
(a) What assurances are there that ONLY the amounts paid by contract cities are used to cover the entirety of contract services in those cities, and no other funds are drawn from other BSO General Fund, BSO reserve accounts, and/or Countywide ad valorem? 
(b) If funds other than those provided contract cities are used to provide respective services to those cities, what is the legal authority for BSO utilizing other funds and from where are those funds derived?
If this is not an area of analysis for you and is better left to the OIG’s office, I will let you handle that referral. 
Best regards,
Mike Ryan


12 Responses to “Sunrise Mayor Wants Audit of BSO 911”

  1. Mayor Mike Ryan says:

    Buddy,
    A 2009 Sentinel article began: “Residents of Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Sunrise may be paying for law enforcement in Deerfield Beach and fire protection in Weston.”

    In response, the County Auditor was quoted as saying, ” ‘They’re paying twice – they are paying for their own city and they are paying to subsidize these other cities’ …”

    Those are the County Auditor’s words, not mine. And the “they” is more that Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Sunrise.

    http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2009-05-31/news/0905300244_1_sheriff-s-office-cities-auditors-review

    In 2009, the Auditor identified more than the $14,000,000 being diverted by the County to BSO.

    Turns out, during the process of analyzing communications countywide, we discovered that the County has also been subsidizing BSO Communications operations for some cities for another $19,000,000. When added to the prior $14,400,000, that is over $33,000,000 annually in BSO subsidies taken from some residents’ for whom there was no BSO benefit or contract. To use the words of the County Auditor, we were paying twice.

    Now, some residents want to know when we will get our refunds for what the County diverted without any legal authority and when our taxes will go down from ending the subsidies.

  2. vivi says:

    As a resident, I want to know why the comissioner is not supporting 911 so we can save money for the community of Broward County?

  3. taxpayer says:

    Israel asked Lukic for a complete audit of BSO since lamberti was appointed and then elected. Lukic can do the county 911 audit at same time to see where the ‘county’ revenue went in BSO.
    We continue to be robbed and fleeced by the electeds squandering our taxes.
    So is any one at coounty hall going to tell Mayor Ryan NO? Better not.

  4. City Activist Robert walsh says:

    My Grandmother (Ms.Jennie) used to say you by cheap, you get cheap. In other words this e911 service will be state of the art and of course we Broward County residents should contribute. I mean it would break down to 12 to 14 dollars extra. I mean really. Oh i know its poltical suicide-but is it really? Public Safety is priority number one. Those that own homes would see an increase of less than twenty bucks-come on. Those that don’t own property get them when they renew their car registration. Folks you gotta pay. If some of you have any better ideas lets hear them…..

  5. Resident says:

    Who decides what’ the residents of sunrise pay for the county advalorum ? Who determines the dollar amount ? So do we pay county tax and city tax for the same service ? Are our communities being tax twice to pay for other cities services who out source for services ? I don’t mind paying for my own city services but to tell me your pooling my taxes dollars for other cities is truly not exceptable!

  6. Resident says:

    Who decides what’ the residents of sunrise pay for the county advalorum ? Who determines the dollar amount ? So do we pay county tax and city tax for the same service ? Are our communities being tax twice to pay for other cities services who out source for services ? I don’t mind paying for my own city services but to tell me your pooling my taxes dollars for other cities is truly not exceptable! I would like to see that audit.

  7. Broward Tax Watch says:

    This is absolutely preposterous and an utterly disgusting display of selfishness on the part of the county commission. Yes, selfishness! To disregard the safety of the very citizens they are “suppose” to represent reprehensible. It is truly time for the citizens, not just voters, to start paying closer attention to who is running their local county Government!
    There couldn’t be a more obvious display of decisions based on personal political agendas then this recent one by the county. Absolutely deplorable.

    5 county commissioners need to be replaced.

  8. whatever says:

    http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/20/3297228/miami-beach-ambulance-takes-31.html

    I can see the headlines now slamming non-response in life threatening situation

    good bye tourists in FLL
    Hello big Plaintiff lawsuits

  9. Plain Language says:

    Kristin Jacobs voted against regional dispatch to spite city officials that didn’t help her win her Congressional race. Her transformation to the dark side is complete and if she ever runs for city office let’s remember that her vote on the county will cost city residents double taxation on 911 communications.

    Suzanne Gunzburger voted no because face it she is just plain weird. She talks like a progressive but nobody likes to grandstand with a no vote on an important issue more than Sue Gunzburger. Her expiration date is way overdue.

    Stacy Ritter voted no to maintain her status as the commissioner nobody likes. If this had been a shopping mall vote her enthusiasm would have carried the day.

    Chip LaMarca voted no to please his nutjob Tea Party base who prefer to save $2 in taxes rather than get to the hospital on time when they have a heart attack. May all their dreams come true.

    Tim Ryan is the no vote that makes no sense. He is new to the commission. This was his chance to be a hero on a very big issue. He knows better, Tim knows Broward has been working on this issue for decades. Yet he voted no. All eyes on Ryan…something there does not make sense. Perhaps he has lawyer friends looking for fees from cities who must now sue the county.

    Next step is to amend the charter to more clearly define the payment role of the county with a deadline. Three ways to achieve this include the charter review board, the state legislature, or a citizen signature effort to put the language before the voters.

    Regional communications will pass as 90% of Broward voters demanded it last time. The county commission stands arrogantly in their way which proves yet again how useless they are.

  10. BCDevelopment says:

    If the Kings & Queens of Broward dont wake up and walk this issue back to the junk yard, it will cost a few seats next election….the avg voter, not just the Browardbeat crowd can see this mess for what it is- unjust,stupid, maybe illegal and no better than what is happing in Cyprus right now…Every Mayor whose City is being robbed of tax payer money for thi should line up w/ Mayor Ryan until the money is rightfully returned to our Cities.

  11. whatever says:

    @Plain Language
    great evaluations of the 5 voters against this
    as to comm ryan, he may be tight with the fort lauderdale mayor and both are lawyers and maybe their time in tallahassee overlapped
    both were at emerald breakfast and maybe they yakked it up
    fort lauderdale wants to keep their own dispatch and is running ads to hire more people so this could explain the no vote
    whats clear now is the mayor likely didn’t want keechl or rodstrom on county comm because lawyers cut deals better amongst themselves
    keechl doesn’t count because he was not the same kind of wheeling dealing lawyer
    wait till next elections in 2016 as the airport runway will be done, way over budget, behind schedule, bigger and uglier than anyone imagined, taxes will have been raised by the 9 and voters will vote ryan out

  12. whatever whatever says:

    Thanks Char