Broward County has launched an investigation into how Sheriff Gregory Tony is spending money at the Broward Sheriff’s Office, escalating a budget dispute that has run for weeks.
The county acted Friday. Earlier in the week, Tony said he had suspended all negotiations over BSO’s $850 million budget after commissioners voted to pull county fire rescue out of BSO’s control. The county had also discussed moving away from BSO for police services at Port Everglades and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Mayor Mark Bogen said the county wants accountability and transparency to make sure public money is spent appropriately. District 3 Commissioner Michael Udine said Tony has not appeared before the commission since May to discuss the budget. District 4 Commissioner Lamar Fisher said the sheriff’s unwillingness to work with the county is puzzling.
Tony responded Friday afternoon. He told Bogen he was free to file a complaint with the statewide prosecutor or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and said their contact information appears on the last page of a criminal subpoena Bogen received in September.
The sheriff’s reference points to a separate state probe examining whether the county could shift away from BSO for security at the seaport and the airport. The county’s review and the state inquiry add a legal layer to a fight that directly affects how police services are paid for across Broward.
