BUSHNELL, Fla. – A back-and-forth between the City of Bushnell and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office has been brewing.
On June 2, SCSO sent a letter to the Bushnell City Manager and Assistant City Manager saying that it would terminate its contract with the city by March 31, 2026, due to budget cuts and increased calls for service.
According to the sheriff’s office, when the agency began providing law enforcement in Bushnell back in 2012, they had eight deputies.
The letter says since then, the City of Bushnell has decreased funding, and from October 2022 to October 2024, the sheriff’s office went from providing eight deputies to four deputies.
The sheriff also cited an increase in the calls for service in Bushnell. He said since 2014, they’ve gone up by about 31%. He also said the population has gone up by 14% in the last five years.
The letter goes on to say in part: “This expectation of receiving comprehensive law enforcement services to the level our citizens have become accustom to is unsustainable at this rate.”
The Sheriff’s also sent News 6 a statement on Tuesday which said:
“In 2012, the City of Bushnell approached the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office with a request to take over law enforcement services for the City, and a contract was entered to provide 8 deputies to fulfill this service. In October of 2023, the City of Bushnell requested a decrease in law enforcement services from 8 deputies to 5 deputies citing a financial hardship. The City assured the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office that this decrease was a temporary situation, and there was every intention on replenishing funding for the law enforcement services. However, in 2024, the City requested another decrease in services from 5 deputies to 4 deputies. As we approach discussions with the City of Bushnell concerning the 2025/2026 budget, the City of Bushnell requested remaining at the same level of service.
“The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office will not sacrifice our responsibility of service, and this defunding trend is unsustainable. Since 2014, calls for service in the City of Bushnell has increased 31%, as well as the City’s increase in annexed property and population over those years. When the City disbanded their Police Department in 2012, they had approximately 8 police officers employed annually with various unfilled positions. When the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office took over responsibilities in 2013, we provided 8 deputies. The City has defunded this original complement of law enforcement resources to 4 deputies, resulting in a 50% reduction in actual law enforcement services.”
“This expectation of maintaining comprehensive law enforcement services to the level your citizens have become accustomed, is unsustainable at this rate, and even without the annexations and business growth of the City of Bushnell, this expectation is unrealistic.
“Therefore, based on the facts outlined, it was determined that this contract was not in the best interest of the citizens in the City of Bushnell nor the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. We have offered our assistance to the City of Bushnell through whatever transition they decide, and assure that we will always protect and serve our citizens in Sumter County.”
News 6 also obtained a copy of the City of Bushnell’s response to the Sheriff’s office from June 9.
The letter from the city clarified that it was not concerned about the quality of service provided by the Sheriff’s office, but rather the fairness of cost allocation.
In the city’s June 9 letter, it said the City of Bushnell and its residents “contribute significantly to the countywide budget through ad valorem taxes and other revenue sources.”
The city also said in fiscal year 2025, the Sumter County Commission transferred more than $50 million to the sheriff’s office for essential support services, and says more than $600,000 of that came from Bushnell residents.
On top of that, the city said it pays an additional $545,613 to the Sheriff’s Office for enhanced services, which is, quote, “stipulated in the three-year interlocal agreement for law enforcement services.”
The city said this raises concerns about double taxation and the “equitable treatment of city residents.”
The city’s letter also said they are requesting a reasonable level of additional service to supplement the basic countywide coverage that all communities are entitled to.