[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6506882,"mediaKeyId","5534693-54d216de0b0c317f85f5e6d903eeaf04","parentId",5534693,"title","Sheriff and county discuss staffing, inmate costs and BCCMC arrears during budget workshop","audioSeconds",3542,"startMs",1909000,"endMs",5451000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5534693-54d216de0b0c317f85f5e6d903eeaf04&start=1909&end=5451","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5534693-54d216de0b0c317f85f5e6d903eeaf04/thumbnail_1909000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6506882/Baker-County/Florida/Sheriff-and-county-discuss-staffing-inmate-costs-and-BCCMC-arrears-during-budget-workshop","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6506882-78cfd1a07fc94e11e4cef0ae283bcf1c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770422333&Signature=VSencRBjk1jEkfp6dRWLvmP5WBomMratg3ncVUqMYUMT5fFqpLGizSB-Gi2kPA42jmozSTzO6vF3hBmXH7odogYK30p9UDjNEQgH5YgbOnJC290KT0Lh1i2fBE0mPSgQwkNyBS-0~u0RD1Y2Ao7QEqF7AFWiJNsUuvQLwaWaj-V1H9qLZbXsApYuWKdozyMEkoOlApnGfsnjbLpb7FeyRCAEuLfnXKGG~bint1avWRYb4dw8qI55fJoiII8VpVUafvwH3Ca~YQukCVLNtA2Twak96GxCuJKVJkXiI1BADi5GXvChs2cK-DhJtW6PLcQLC36T8JbzRAh3rMNciZJCjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Baker County","date","2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","article","Sheriff Cruz and county staff presented the sheriff's office and jail budget during Baker County's February 2025 budget workshop, asking the Board of County Commissioners to fund higher starting salaries, add investigative capacity and share the cost of a new accounting position with the Baker County Corrections & Management Corporation (BCCMC).

The sheriff said the office has seen recent increases in violent crime and two homicides since January, and that staffing shortages and mandatory overtime are driving retention problems. To address pay competition and turnover, the sheriff's budget asks to raise the department's minimum starting salary for deputies and for corrections officers to $50,000.

County budget presenter Randy and Sheriff Cruz outlined estimated costs tied to the proposal. Randy said the requested housing cost for inmates at the county-run BCCMC facility for the next fiscal year is $4,160,567, based on an average population of about 144 inmates; outside inmate-related costs (hospital transports, one-on-one/suicide watches and overtime) were estimated at about $164,000. Randy also said BCCMC's annual budget is about $2,752,000, with roughly $2,014,000 of that going toward principal and interest on the facility's debt. Randy reported BCCMC reserves of about $1,000,067 above USDA-required minimums but said the facility faces a separate cash-flow issue: ICE (immigration) payments were roughly $1.4 million in arrears, creating short-term strain.

Officials described how pay changes would affect different groups. Randy and Sheriff Cruz said roughly 36 deputies across patrol and operations and three positions in judicial services would be affected by the proposed move to a $50,000 floor, though not every person would move from $43,000 to $50,000 — some already earn between those amounts and would be adjusted upward. The sheriff also requested adding a detective position and said investigators are needed to handle larger crime scenes, witness interviews and multi-jurisdictional work. The sheriff requested a part-time or shared CPA/finance position; Randy said BCCMC has agreed to split the cost of half that position because both the correction facility and sheriff's office need greater redundancy and accounting capacity following staff departures.

The sheriff and presenters stressed that some costs are driven by factors outside local control, including health insurance and pension (FRS) contribution increases and contractual or debt-service obligations. Commissioners asked about alternatives, grant funding and which costs could be covered by outside sources; staff said some positions are partially covered by grants or partner agencies but that the county portion remains substantial.

Discussion points: commissioners asked for itemized breakdowns (including how many individuals would receive raises and the county share versus other funders), copies of the BCCMC financial packet, and historic monthly inmate averages. County staff committed to emailing the detailed packet and supporting numbers to commissioners.

Next steps: commissioners instructed staff to provide the full BCCMC budget, the inmate-cost face sheet and a clearer line-item accounting of how the proposed pay changes interact with potential 3%–5% across-the-board raises. No final decisions or votes were taken during the workshop.

Ending: Commissioners and the sheriff acknowledged the budget pressure facing public safety but did not adopt any motion at the workshop; they requested follow-up materials to evaluate trade-offs and potential funding sources.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","8/5/2025 Board of County Commissioners Budget Workshop AM","oneSentenceSummary","Sheriff Cruz and county staff presented the sheriff's office and jail budget during Baker County's February 2025 budget workshop, asking the Board of County Commissioners to fund higher starting salaries, add investigative capacity and share the cost of a new accounting position with the Baker County Corrections & Management Corporation (BCCMC).","taxTitle","Baker County, Florida","taxId",71807,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6506868,"Property appraiser reports staff certifications, small budget rise driven by health insurance and EDP maintenance",213,1077000,1290000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5534693-54d216de0b0c317f85f5e6d903eeaf04&start=1077&end=1290","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5534693-54d216de0b0c317f85f5e6d903eeaf04/thumbnail_1077000.jpg","/articles/6506868/Baker-County/Florida/Property-appraiser-reports-staff-certifications-small-budget-rise-driven-by-health-insurance-and-EDP-maintenance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6506868-a683bcb677696aa46b52d54f29c4a85b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770422333&Signature=kYLWCAuyTWjp6FV~I6ImgV~fUpk8ILlzoDGEYgECVdywLsyxPSjCKMQht~VzjNNKiYM6~W08fESO1eKoeIxIH-FIM5GE9uuJ8xyoLmsgyBpUYBuyXxyAULrDTlICl1NYe22jgxjAoAOfaXMeg9Q5pT5sinV5WYent03~GbNSAFyadyPjq7NybSlQi6FQ4UczMoTG9T3ajIWk8Xa3wIzU~RFXXqyMxv-llbE47zFQw6dcUKIN6pxRPEIHZGvDIllk3tVodguwyFAbGLP3IAWBI72Uznnu86N~8Pjc~mzNJWIgL4vYSpjcdayLTE2jBvxHGJVjT2q1UduCoyr0AUUDRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Property Appraiser Tim presented his office's FY2026 budget at Baker County's February workshop, reporting a requested net increase of about 4.23% compared with the prior year.

Tim told the commission the office recently achieved a milestone: every employee, including the property appraiser, is now certified in appraisal duties. He described budget variances including a higher health-insurance line (moved from 15% to 18% in department estimates), a negotiated reduction in EDP/camera-system maintenance (a $2,000 savings from an original request), and modest increases in retirement and other employee-withholding lines. Tim said he did not include across-the-board salary increases in the submitted numbers but prepared a separate 3% salary estimate for planning that would add roughly $12,217 for salary alone.

Tim said overall capital and operating needs are modest this year; the larger single items are insurance and the ongoing EDP maintenance. Commissioners thanked him and asked about overall insurance and salary scenarios; Tim said he would provide the 3%/4%/5% breakdowns to staff for distribution.

Ending: Commissioners accepted the presentation and asked staff to attach the property appraiser's supplemental salary scenarios to the budget packet for commissioners' review.","Property Appraiser Tim presented a proposed 4.23% budget increase driven largely by health insurance, EDP (camera) maintenance and annual salary planning. He noted that every employee in his office is now certified and that negotiated maintenance costs for the appraisal camera system were reduced.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6506873,"County clerk seeks time to redesign finance structure; proposes temporary CPA retainer option",488,1372000,1860000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5534693-54d216de0b0c317f85f5e6d903eeaf04&start=1372&end=1860","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5534693-54d216de0b0c317f85f5e6d903eeaf04/thumbnail_1372000.jpg","/articles/6506873/Baker-County/Florida/County-clerk-seeks-time-to-redesign-finance-structure-proposes-temporary-CPA-retainer-option","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6506873-324af90b6719edee3741c9c1bce78250/orig.mp4?Expires=1770422333&Signature=U4DHS9rqtTyVwmldT-0oXC5HPj6bS8UYnM84oGn2yG8BFkhcDPek0g30H6GHUfKvankZH9ZRw0wJ3Fg5rrX6YBmQ0d2vqbY52VtIKA6HndK2ETEERYe8IaURg4i-Eha~KhA5xemZSCegrqavNyd0YR0ULEvuje2kxhzbz1epG3YHt-AjYNsRQfNQY3knj2S4w7CUepb22Q6tIQ7dYjDiw53rJvIg1jV-rv2VlSt9gArvIZkL67vnRuM9kbhM5SQTp11PQpyb4Oqiv8m7OEumrFqaOM46pudxyVTzlguRZW2Eisbx1xuOKgr8RSr5NMegX8Fl2bSadxwNGER14N2cOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County Clerk Stacy Arnold told the board she will delay delivering a final clerk's-office budget as she and the county manager complete a planned restructure of finance staff. Arnold said she had jury duty and other scheduling conflicts that delayed work but emphasized she has begun outreach to similarly sized counties and potential consultants.

Arnold said local governments vary widely in how clerk and finance functions are divided; some counties have finance under the clerk, others under a county manager. She described difficulty recruiting staff who understand government accounting and said she had already interviewed candidates without finding a good match. Because budget-season hiring for finance is cyclical, Arnold and commissioners discussed hiring options including a part-time/seasonal budget specialist, retained CPAs, or shared contractual services rather than a new full-time position.

Commissioners requested a timetable and that Arnold provide last year's budget packet to new commissioners so they can review baseline figures while a staffing plan is developed. Commissioner discussion suggested the board is open to a short-term retained CPA or part-time budget support rather than adding an ongoing full-time position, given the seasonal nature of heavier workload cycles.

Ending: Arnold committed to meeting with the county manager and returning to the board with a draft restructuring plan and proposed salary estimates before the next workshop. Commissioners asked to be kept informed as staffing options are explored.","Baker County Clerk Stacy Arnold told commissioners she needs time to work with the county manager on a finance-office restructuring and requested latitude to return with salary estimates and a staffing plan. She and commissioners discussed using retained CPAs or part-time contractors rather than hiring a full-time budget person.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6506877,"Tax collector asks for two new tag-and-title staff as part of small overall budget increase",371,449000,820000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5534693-54d216de0b0c317f85f5e6d903eeaf04&start=449&end=820","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5534693-54d216de0b0c317f85f5e6d903eeaf04/thumbnail_449000.jpg","/articles/6506877/Baker-County/Florida/Tax-collector-asks-for-two-new-tag-and-title-staff-as-part-of-small-overall-budget-increase","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6506877-9ec2de82905a2489949f643b84b42ad2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770422333&Signature=HDKHEX0XW2yBNEIH0Rg7-GQTTlLsUi3Uz~j0tlaZvj0QKRq8AlEWPhsSr2XGaFBZ8gW4n4CZrXQZTx46l469XyLTW53HaQOxCd-yxISPqLTQngMU-~T0msmcEWy-085pxlrVg6CtntyY0RsAPLEyr4VljQL7DSCB7gq5TGkX1F0hr7wSxCgtz4sNjgnpe4Uxn~XRDPt6aK9HLrTWPewVBUXBUG6iVHGc1dBPc~3yqzBnLBeQ5s9FRk2qY1XdcMjE9dzc6YCnhiz6c08eOJRka73cVCBfDIlYY7KUD68gmxqb-VQuksJYTxFMWkeZ0PPeBvJXApjLy-K-5y6nno4Pig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Amy Dugger, Baker County tax collector, presented her office's fiscal 2026 budget request at the county's February budget workshop, asking the commission to approve a roughly 4.8% increase from last year to cover staffing, equipment and operating cost increases.

Dugger told the board the tax-collector office has experienced sustained growth in customer demand: she reported roughly a 20% year-over-year increase in tag-and-title transactions and about a 15% rise in driverâ€™s license customers over recent years (she later updated July numbers to describe a 22% increase over the prior year). To address longer processing times and employee strain, Dugger requested funding for two new full-time employees assigned to the tag-and-title/driver's-license area. She said the additions are intended to improve service, maintain compliance with processing standards and reduce employee burnout.

Other budget drivers Dugger discussed included increased postage due to petition-law changes, aging technology and higher industry costs for equipment, and medical insurance increases tied to employees' coverage choices. She said certification pay and most contractual maintenance costs are steady or lower compared with the prior year, and that one-time capital purchases (two new workstations) account for part of the increase. Dugger noted the office incorporated a planned 3% salary scenario externally but that the submitted justification sheet does not include the county-wide 3% salary policy adjustment.

Commissioners sought clarification about totals and asked for copies of Dugger's detailed calculations (3%/4%/5% scenarios) so each commissioner can review how proposed pay raises and insurance changes alter the budget. Dugger agreed to provide the requested breakdown and confirmed the 4.8% figure includes the two new employees but does not include an across-the-board 3% increase.

Ending: The board asked staff to circulate Dugger's supporting sheets and asked the tax-collector to supply any additional details on operation and capital-outlay items before final budget decisions.","Amy Dugger, Baker County tax collector, presented a proposed fiscal-year 2026 budget that would increase overall spending about 4.8% from the prior year. The largest single request is funding for two additional employees in the tag-and-title/driver's license area to address sustained customer growth.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sheriff and county discuss staffing, inmate costs and BCCMC arrears during budget workshop

Property appraiser reports staff certifications, small budget rise driven by health insurance and EDP maintenance

County clerk seeks time to redesign finance structure; proposes temporary CPA retainer option

Tax collector asks for two new tag-and-title staff as part of small overall budget increase