The Jacksonville 2012 budget is now finalized and the Sheriff’s Office getting some of what it asked for.

At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting JSO lobbied for $4.4 million they got back $3.2 million.

This week Sheriff John Rutherford said he was going to have to make cuts to filled positions across the board regardless of whether or not they got any money back.  The number of positions cut could be more than 50 according to the sheriff.

As for additional cuts if the Fraternal Order of Police doesn’t take a 2% pay cut the sheriff says that’s not on him, “that’s not on this body, that’s not on the mayor, that’s not on me, that’s on the union leadership, that’s where those cuts are going to lie.”

“I want to make sure we don’t jeopardize public safety,” says FOP President Nelson Cuba.  He says money from the 2% pay cut, that shouldn’t be counted on if those negotiations haven’t come to an end.  “I’ve said it already, it’s his responsibility, if I were the sheriff I would find the cuts in other areas,” says Cuba.

Sheriff Rutherford is expected to meet with members of his staff on Wednesday to go over the budget and determine where cuts will be made.  He says the process could take a couple of days.