Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen and several county commissioners were turned away Monday morning at the front door of the Broward Sheriff’s Office headquarters. They arrived holding paperwork from the property appraiser listing the county commission as owner of the building, and they asked to be let inside.
Bogen said he wants to see the fourth-floor gym and spa, where he says the sheriff spent money on luxury items such as a cold plunge and a sauna. He called the spending “wasteful” and said he had texted Sheriff Gregory Tony beforehand. A deputy said through the door that all tours must be scheduled through the sheriff’s office.
Tony said the commission already knew about the cold plunge and sauna from a county audit completed in 2024. He said he has nothing to hide and asked Bogen to submit a records request, calling the visit “nothing more than a masquerade.” Bogen said the 2024 audit did mention the items, but he questioned why the sheriff stopped meeting with the county recently.
The standoff is part of a wider dispute over the Sheriff’s Office budget. The county has voted to remove BSO Fire Rescue from the sheriff’s control and is considering taking back security at the airport, the seaport, the jail and the 911 center. Deerfield Beach is also parting ways with the BSO.
Bogen said commissioners will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday at 9 a.m. to pursue legal action over the denied access.
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