PASCO COUNTY, Fla. -- The proposed $132 million budget for the Pasco County Sheriff's Office for the upcoming fiscal year comes with a 10.57 percent increase. More than 4.5 percent of that is directly related to the cost of overcrowding in the county jail. 

• 1,593 inmates housed at jail as of morning of May 23
• Official bed capacity for jail is 1,432
• $130 million capital project to expand jail being discussed

“It's a trickle down effect, but all those things cost money. So, we're pulling from different areas of the sheriff's office to pay for this,” said Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. 

Nocco noted in a letter to County Board of Commissioners Chairman Mike Wells included with the proposal that he discussed the issue of overcrowding with past administrations multiple times. 

“Unfortunately, no action was taken and it has now become a burdensome unfunded liability for the county,” Nocco said in the letter.

Sheriff’s office spokesperson Kevin Doll said that 1,593 inmates were housed at the jail Wednesday morning. The facility has an official bed capacity of 1,432. He said the jail has housed as many as 1,844 inmates at times.

In addition to the jail, 60 inmates were housed in Seminole County. Pasco also has the option to house up to 200 inmates in Polk County, but there are currently none there.

The letter included with the Sheriff’s proposal states that the county could have to spend $9.8 million per year to house inmates out of county if contracts with the other jails are fully executed, which Doll said the office expects they will be.

“We know six percent of criminals commit 60 percent of crime. That six percent of the population is growing as our county grows,” said Nocco. “The jail has never been built large enough.”

Nocco said the issue has to be dealt with now, and that his office has a strong working relationship with the current administration.

“It’s a high priority for the board, because they are going through the process of telling us to get ready to put it on the ballot so that we can ask the public to vote,” said County Administrator Dan Biles, referring to a proposed $130 million capital project to expand the jail.

Biles said county leadership has been working for about nine months on a plan for the capital project and for dealing with jail operating expenses until the project is complete. He said both have been wrapped into the budget process, which is still in the early stages.

According to Biles, there are competing priorities, but there is a financial source that could help ease some of the budgetary need.

“We have the benefit of significant growth, significant property tax increase in Pasco County due to the growth in residential construction and commercial construction,” Biles said. 

Voters will be asked to decide this fall if they want the county to borrow the money for the project. Biles said the average household would see a tax increase of about $17 per year.