Pasco County’s administration will be taking over the operation of the Pasco County Jail beginning in the new fiscal year, and efforts are underway to prepare for that transition.
Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano asked County Administrator Dan Biles if he could provide regular briefings on the issue, since it is a major undertaking.
During the county board’s May 3 meeting, Mariano suggested the county may want to take a look at how other counties handle their jail operations.
He specifically mentioned Charlotte County, which has a hospital next to its jail, to take care of people with mental health and drug-related issues.
Biles told the commissioners that the county’s Human Resources department has been at the jail already, laying the groundwork for the jail’s employees to become county employees.
He said the county attorney’s office will be involved with the ordinances, resolutions and interlocal agreements that will be needed for the takeover.
He said the county’s information technology and finance departments also are involved.
“There is a lot of work to do and it changes and it’s evolving over time. So, there will be briefings and there will be updates, as we’re going forward with it,” Biles said, noting he expects to give the board an update during the first meeting of each month.
In terms of the jail’s staff, he said: “One day they’ll be sheriff’s office employees. The next day, they’ll be county employees.”
The jail will be run by a civilian administrator that will be confirmed by the board, Biles said.
Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles told the board that her staff has been involved in some transition meetings and would like to remain involved in meetings relating to finance, payroll, information technology and operations that would affect the court.
She also told the board that the list of items to be included in the transition audit has been compiled.
She expected to email it to Biles and Erik Breitenbach, assistant county administrator, for their review, to see if anything needs to be added before it is sent to external auditing firms for a quote, and to the sheriff’s office.
Published May 11, 2022
