As the Pasco County Commission considers its budget for fiscal year 2024-2025, it wants to hear more about the needs of its constitutional officers, who are Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Pasco Tax Collector Mike Fasano and Pasco Property Appraiser Mike Wells.
Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey asked county staff to invite the constitutional officers to share their needs during the county’s budget talks.
“I just want to be sure our constitutional partners are involved,” Starkey told County Administrator Mike Carballa and Amielee Farrell, the county’s new budget director, during a board workshop on Jan. 16.
Carballa said county staff typically brings the constitutional officers’ budget to board members.
Starkey: “Can we not engage with them before they bring us their budgets?”
Farrell responded: “Can you, yes. My office will encourage it and recommend it, but we will need support from you all.
“Do you want that to be at a workshop? Do you want that to be a regular item?” she asked.
Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley said the county board needs more information. ”Last year, we didn’t hear anything,” he said.
Starkey added: “I want to hear their vision for what they need, so we have a short-term goal. We have a long-term goal.”
Starkey said she regularly meets with the sheriff and he told her that no one has sat down with them to find out what they need, in terms of buildings.
She said she’s aware that the tax collector is planning a building.
She wants to know the big picture.
“I’d like to hear what their capital needs are, long-term, so we can plan them into ours. It’s our responsibility to fulfill their capital needs,” she said.
Board members left it up to Carballa and his team to arrange for an opportunity for the board to have a discussion with constitutional officers during the budget process.
Published January 31, 2024
