Commission tables Diaz's request to compare city police costs with a sheriff's contract

Winter Springs will not, for now, ask what the Seminole County Sheriff's Office would charge to police the city.

At Monday night's meeting, the City Commission voted to table Commissioner Paul Diaz's request for a side-by-side comparison of the cost of the city's own police department and a sheriff's contract, WESH 2 News reported. Every commissioner except Diaz supported the motion.

The item had been placed on the Oct. 26 agenda after Diaz raised the idea at a September meeting. At that earlier session, he argued that the commission had a duty to look at the option even if it never acted on it.

"If we have the opportunity to save one-third to one-half of what it costs us to provide the same service, increase the level of service, and on top of that do it for less money where that money could be used for other purposes, guess what? We have a fiduciary duty as an elected body to look at it.

It doesn't mean we're going to pass it," Diaz said in September, according to WESH.

The mayor steps in

Before the commission took up the topic Monday, Mayor Kevin McCann said that although any commissioner may put an item on the agenda, the full commission has to agree before it is discussed, the station reported. He then asked for a motion to end the conversation.

McCann tied his request to the coming election. "After election day and Amendment 3, we're going to have to have a lot of conversations if that passes, but to do so now is undue stress to the people that protect us and the damage that can be done," he said.

Diaz pushed back. "I'm just asking for numbers, that's all I'm asking for," he said. When McCann described the request as asking what would happen if the city disbanded its police department and turned to the sheriff, Diaz answered, "That's our job, Mr. Mayor!"

At least one resident spoke in support of the department during the meeting, telling commissioners the officers provide a great deal of safety and that the speaker could not picture the community without them, according to WESH.

After the vote, McCann addressed the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you understand the signal that we've sent," he said. "The vast majority of this commission stands behind you. We will continue to stand behind you. You deserve our loyalty and our support, and you will have it till my last day."

City elections, including the mayor's race, are on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Sources

wesh.com