The Jacksonville City Council will go over the city budget at a council meeting tonight and decide just how much money the sheriff’s office will have in the 2011-2012 budget year.

Mayor Alvin Brown had proposed JSO’s budget be $349,118,737. 

Sheriff John Rutherford says that’s a drop of $4 million plus from the previous budget year.  On top of that he says they had an additional $7 million to work with last year because funding was set aside in a contingency fund.

After the Council Finance Committee wrapped up their meetings they recommended JSO’s budget be $342,692,158.

The additional funds would force the sheriff to layoff police officers, according to Rutherford.  “I cut to the bone already,” says Rutherford, “This second $4.4 million cuts through the bone and that’s the part I have a problem with and that’s the part that’s going to negatively impact public safety.”

After tonight’s City Council meeting we’ll be able to get an idea of just how much the sheriff will in fact have to cut.  Councilman Warren Jones is expected to introduce a floor amendment that will put back the $4.4 million that was taken out from JSO’s budget during the finance meetings.

Councilman John Crescimbeni says what the sheriff is doing is nothing short of scare tactics.  He says the sheriff doesn’t have to cut police officers, he can make cuts elsewhere.  The sheriff says he’ll cut 45 officers, 3 corrections officers and 21 civilian positions.

Crescimbeni says if he were the one to make the cuts, officers would be the last to go.  “The sheriff does not have to layoff police officers,” says Crescimbeni, “that’s a common tactic that’s used to scare people and imply that public safety is going to be at risk.”

JSO does take up about 1/3 of the entire city budget.  When asked about making cuts elsewhere the sheriff said, if someone can find cuts elsewhere to show him, and that for now he thinks the cuts he has outlined, makes sacrifices in the proper places.