Sheriff to ask for funding again for remodel project

File photo: A Marion County Sheriff’s Office vehicle responding to a call on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods plans to ask the Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC) at their upcoming regular meeting on Jan. 4 to release funds being held to renovate various buildings on the Sheriff’s Office campus.

In April of last year, the MCBOCC approved shifting $2.1 million in unspent money from the 2019-2020 fiscal year that Woods’ office returned to the commission to the general fund, but earmarked for future improvements to the sheriff’s campus.

According to documents posted online by the county in advance of the meeting tomorrow, Woods sent a letter on Dec. 23 to MCBOCC Chair Cark Zalak III requesting $1,098,486 from the MSTU budget, $987,062 from the county-wide budget, and remaining funds collected as part of the one-cent sales tax in order to fund the projects.

In the letter, Woods stated “Working with County Facilities Management Director, Jared Goodspeed, it has been determined that the entire project will cost an estimated $5.2 million.  Simply put, we have outgrown our existing office space and the remodeling needs to address issues which will help the layout of the building become more efficient.”

Woods also signaled in his letter that the funds were originally part of the fiscal year 2019-2020 year-end turnback monies he returned to the county, and “In a letter dated November 2020, when I returned year-end monies, I asked for the use of those funds for this purpose…and as far as I know, this was approved, and the monies were set aside,” he wrote.

Further, Woods wrote “We have some funding from the one cent sales tax initiative to remodel the existing Evidence area and to demolish the Annex Building.  I will work with County Staff to plan and prioritize which projects can be completed with these funds.”

At the Nov. 16 MCBOCC, Woods had asked returned a total of $686,424 of unused funds from the 2020-2021 fiscal year requesting it be used purchasing a BearCat armored vehicle along with the remodel and expansion plans for the sheriff’s operation building. At that time, the MCBOCC denied his request, but indicated that it would support purchase of the BearCat through penny sales tax.

The requested projects include remodeling and updating the Sheriff’s Office Complex and Main Operations Building, parking areas, Fleet Maintenance Building, and additional storage areas.