ST. PETE BEACH - The City Commission will debate Tuesday whether to ask voters in November to decide the fate of the city's Police Department.
During initial budget discussions in April, the commission directed City Manager Mike Bonfield to contact Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri for information on cost savings if the Police Department were eliminated.
It turns out the city could save $1.35 million a year - slightly more than next year's anticipated $1.25 million budget deficit - by switching to the Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services. It now costs about $4.6 million a year to run the Police Department. The sheriff can do the same job for just over $2 million. Ongoing pension contributions and other costs bring the annual savings down to $1.35 million.
Closing the Police Department would require a citywide referendum because the department is part of the city's charter.
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