BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — Once again addressing what Mayor Scott Roberts called “the elephant in the room,” the city commission has extended an invitation to the county to discuss law enforcement and fire department consolidation.
There seems to be more support on the commission to turn policing over to the sheriff’s office, but the mayor and others insist that discussing one service automatically triggers a conversation about the other.
Every few years the topic of consolidation resurfaces, but it typically focuses on law enforcement alone. One difference now is that the county has a professional versus volunteer fire department.
There is also the reason the for the reemergence — City Manager Drew Mullins’ forecast that if the city continues spending at current levels, it will soon be facing a deficit.
The police and fire departments are the major expenses of Starke’s general government — spending that has been supported by utility revenue while the maintenance of the utility infrastructure has been neglected.
Mullins’ proposed 2024 budget prioritizes utility improvements by reducing the amount of revenue transferred to the general fund.
Commissioners voted to extend an invitation to Sheriff Gordon Smith to discuss consolidating law enforcement services, and County Manager Scott Kornegay was invited to discuss the fire department. The date proposed was the city’s June 20 meeting at 5:30 p.m.
The city will also consult its pension attorney about how retirement will be addressed for city employees in police and fire who could be transferred to the county as well as current retirees. Starke has its own retirement programs for employees while county employees are in the Florida Retirement System.
While city commissioners do not necessarily agree how to proceed, the vote to invite the county to the table was unanimous.
There was no further discussion at the May 16 meeting about a referendum to remove the police chief as an elected position in the city charter.
