Drug education program and Sheriff's Office substations shutting down

BROOKSVILLE — Drug education for Hernando County schoolchildren will have to come from elsewhere. Community substations will be shuttered within a couple of days. And there's no longer a designated cold-case detective at the Sheriff's Office.

There's simply not enough money for it all.

Sheriff Richard Nugent confirmed Monday that the Sheriff's Office is preparing to end the antidrug DARE program, close five community substations and eliminate several other programs and positions after county commissioners held firm on their request for nearly $1 million in budget cuts.

"This is a done deal," Nugent said. "Really, this is it. It's all pretty well set in stone."

After county commissioners voted Thursday to approve a $400.8 million budget for 2009-10 that included a number of cuts to the Sheriff's Office spending plan, Nugent said he was willing to explore other funding possibilities.

But on Monday, Nugent said there would be no further exploration.

The agency's budget has been set at $31.9 million, which is $350,000 more than what Nugent expected to spend this year, but not enough to save a number of his coveted programs.

So, the four DARE deputies have been told they will return to patrol duty, and the agency notified the property owners about a month ago that it would not be renewing leases for the substations. The five community substations — located in Hernando Beach, Hillside Estates, Masaryktown, Ridge Manor and South Brooksville — will be closed starting Thursday.

"We all knew it was coming but were hoping things didn't go that way," said Maj. Royce Decker, bureau chief of law enforcement services. "But we understand the Sheriff's Office is not the only portion of the county's budget. Times are tough."

Also, without funding for the substations, Nugent said the Sheriff's Office does not have the money to operate the soon-to-be-finished South Brooksville community center on the east end of Dr. M.L. King Boulevard. As of now, there's not even enough funds for utilities.

However, Nugent said the agency is looking into alternative ways to come up with the money and that talks have been going on for months with several community groups who might staff the center when its doors finally open.

Already disappointed that her part-time job at the south Brooksville substation was eliminated, Sarah Davis said the news about the community center was particularly frustrating.

"We waited so long to get a building," Davis said. "And as soon as we got it, there was no money left for it."

After months of difficult — and sometimes contentious —budget talks, County Commission Chairman Dave Russell said he was satisfied with Nugent's handling of the budget.

"They're tough cuts and tough choices," he said. "We're all having to make choices right now. One thing I won't do is second-guess the sheriff on his budget."

But if Russell won't, County Commissioner Jeff Stabins most certainly will.

Stabins, who repeatedly clashed in recent weeks with Nugent over his agency's spending plan, said it is the sheriff's job to make decisions about which expenses to cut in his budget and which to keep in tight times.

The commissioner suggested Nugent could have made cuts in other areas, including overtime funds for employees.

"Obviously, I'm very disappointed" that DARE and the substations were eliminated from the budget, Stabins said. "But he's going to do what he's going to do."

Joel Anderson can be reached at joelanderson@sptimes.com or (352) 754-6120.