In a reversal of fortune, Levy County Sheriff Johnny Smith told the Levy County Commission that on Monday he discovered he had money left in the budget year that ended Wednesday and he spent $414,145.20 on 15 new patrol cars.

At the same time, he told the commissioners,who sat quietly during his announcement, that he will be returning $70,000 they put in next year's budget for repairs to the aging sheriff's patrol fleet and another $40,000 that was in the budget for repairs.

Most commissioners' reaction was good with one pointing out that the sheriff must cover 1,110 square miles in the county with the patrol vehicles and provide support to the municipalities.

Reading from a prepared statement, Smith said the money was found in “funds set aside for emergencies” such as hurricanes. He reminded commissioners that in the 2004 hurricane season, when the area was battered, he ran up $180,000 in overtime and this fund was to provide for that.

But the worst month of the hurricane season is over, said Commissioner Lilly Rooks of Rosewood, who said she was OK with the decision.  But at the same time, she voiced some doubts. “Oh, I don't think he overlooked it. But September has been a hard month, and we are at the end of September.

“I think he did the wise thing,” Rooks said.

Commissioner Danny Stevens of Williston said the expenditure is fine with him and mentioned the sheriff's fleet needs to be replaced. 

Commission Chair Nancy Bell of Chiefland said, “ I'm glad for him — that he is able to buy the cars. That is the future we won't have to worry.”

Bell's statement echoed Smith's statement that his biggest concern going into the new budget year — which starts on Thursday — was his aging fleet of vehicles and the need to spend more than $100,000 on repairs.

Commissioner Marsha Drew of Yankeetown, who has tilted with Smith and Chief Deputy, Col. Mike Johnson, said, “I would have hoped that considering the positions he is eliminating that it would have gone to augment the payroll.”

Johnson, who had a public disagreement with Drew over the budget, once again apologized for the incident and offered his apology and an explanation.

“Please do not think I am  trying to make excuses, I was only trying to explain the Sheriff's Office position,” Johnson said. He said the office had made $572,000 in cuts from this years's funding level in next year's budget, and that three positions will be eliminated. 

He later explained to drew that the layoffs would have to occur because the money spent on the cars was in this year's budget and had to be spent by the close of the budget year on Wednesday, Sept. 30 or be lost to the department, and that the money to provide for the three positions is not in next year's budget. They were a victim of the 5 percent cut demanded by the commission.