VIDEO

Deltona

Commission

Workshop

on PD Issue

7/15/2008

PART 1:

Consultants address their mistakes

PART 2:

Teacher Teaches Attorney, Commission Agrees to Include $$$ Amount

PART 3:

First Mayor hopes to prevent a big mistake

PART 4:

Veronica Kenny Misinforms, Jessup Sets it Straight

PART 5:

Bank Robber-Catching Deputy speaks Out

Deltona

Commission

Meeting

on PD Issue

7/7/2008

PART 1:

Consultants Confuse, First Mayor Gives Guidance

PART 2:

City & County Leaders Speak Out

PART 3:

Deltonans Speak Out

PART 4:

Commission Speaks  Authority on Deltona Crime Corrects Misinformation

PART 5:

The Commission Votes (Deyette insults Sheriff)

The Mulder plan =

 Higher cost

Less law enforcement

The Sheriff plan =

Less cost

More law enforcement

CITY OF DELTONA, GROUP CONNECTED TO MAYOR

MISINFORMING VOTERS ON PD ISSUE

October 31, 2008

Throughout October, the City of Deltona has been using Deltonans' tax dollars to produce and mail several flyers regarding the upcoming vote of whether or not Deltona should start up its own Police Department.

In the flyers, complete with photo of Mayor Mulder, Deltona claims that the city's current contract with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office costs $9.1 million.  However, since the Mulder-led commission, in mid September, cut eight deputies from the City's patrol force, the cost of that contract decreased to only $8.7 million - an amount less than the City's projected $12 million cost of a Police Department.

Local newspapers, such as the Orlando sentinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal, and DeLand-Deltona Beacon all agree that the cost of the Sheriff's contract is only $8.7 million but, still, the City continues to include the inaccurate cost amounts on the tax-funded political flyers.

Additionally, the City flyers claim that the projected Police Department will provide 81 patrol units, but the Willdan report (the only official study conducted on the issue) projects only 51 patrol officers - much less than the 69 patrolling deputies currently provided under the Sheriff's contract.

The local political action committee DeltonaFacts.org, comprised of only three members, is also using the same misleading numbers to promote their desire for a Police Department.  The group is made up of Michael Kiepert, who is the organizer for the Mayor's private advisory group; Bill Tavernier, the Mayor's close friend and political advisor; and Veronica Kenny.  On their web site they have posted a letter purportedly from the Sheriff's Office approving of the misleading numbers, but VCSO information officer Gary Davidson said of the letter:

"It’s clearly being misused and distorted in a way it was never intended to be used, If this somehow is being viewed as an endorsement of the literature that's out there regarding this issue, it certainly is not."

Source: Channel 13 Central Florida News

HOW MUCH IS DELTONA PAYING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT NOW?

"The city is asking voters whether it should create its own police force. Deltona's current contract with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office costs $8.7 million for this fiscal year for 72 employees."

Source: Orlando Sentinel

"The current contract with the Sheriff's Office costs the city $8.7 million per year for 69 deputies."

Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal

"Deltona currently pays $8.7 million a year for 69 deputy sheriffs to patrol the city and investigate crimes."

Source: DeLand-Deltona Beacon

Cost Comparison

(SOURCE: final Willdan report)

Annual Law Enforcement Costs

(SOURCE: Based on other Florida cities of similar size)

On Police Department Question, Mayor Mulder calls Insertion of 'Arbitrary Numbers' Insane, Unfair, Disingenuous, Irresponsible

The City of Deltona recently used tax dollars to create and mail a political flyer to educate the voters about the upcoming Police Department ballot question.  In that flyer, the City claimed that a Deltona Police Department would cost only $8.8 Million.  However, Mayor Mulder said that to include a cost amount in the question would be insane, incredibly unfair, disingenuous, and irresponsible.  He went on to say that including a cost amount has the "potential of putting people at risk."

"We don't know," said Mulder.

But despite 'not knowing,' the Mulder-led City Commission voted to include numbers in the tax-payer funded flyer, and those numbers have since become the focus of controversy and debate.

DeltonaBonaFide.com has obtained audio of Mayor Mulder attacking the idea of including a dollar amount in the question of whether or not Deltona should fund its own Police Department:

MayorMulderonDeltonaPoliceDepartmentCost

(audio clip   2.2 minutes)

CITY SNOWS the VOTERS

Dear Deltona Voters: 

It is with great upset that I write you today regarding the Deltona PDvsVCSO ballot question.

$50,000 of your tax dollars were recently spent to educate the voters on the upcoming ballot questions.  One of the items on the ballot is the Police Department or Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

In a flyer/handout that the City created and mailed to residents, there is a significant inaccuracy in the amount of patrolling officers listed.  The City's flyer says there will 81 patrol officers, but the official final Willdan report only lists 51.  Deltona currently has 69 patrolling officers under the Sheriff's Office contract.

I requested, from the City Clerk’s office in Deltona, a copy of the records from which the City derived their numbers used in the City’s PDvsVCSO flyer handout. 

The Clerk’s office responded that the info was taken from the final Willdan report, from pages 16 thru 24, 38, and 39.  $70,000 of your tax dollars were recently spent for the final Willdan report.

I then downloaded and read the specified pages of the final Willdan report.  I was quite upset to see that the figures in the City’s PDvsVCSO flyer handout are clearly inaccurate and are not representative of the figures in the final Willdan report.

To date, the City has not divulged how or from where the mysterious "81" figure was derived.

We have notified the City of their grossly bogus "81"figure, but still, the City continues to distribute the fraudulent flyers with misinformation to the voters.

It is DBF's position that the proposed Police Department will provide less patrolling officers, and at higher cost than the current Sheriff's Office contract.

SEE FOR YOURSELF:

This is what the City claimed in the flyer:	But the City's source, the final Willdan Report claimed:
This is what the City claimed in the flyer:	But the City's source, the final Willdan Report claimed:
This is what the City claimed in the flyer:	But the City's source, the final Willdan Report claimed:

 This is an alarming example of gross misinformation.

 The City of Deltona has greatly tilted the scale by misinforming the people with bogus numbers.

I urge the City of Deltona to immediately issue a statement apologizing for, redacting and correcting the previously released flyer handouts, and that such statement be broadcast to the voters via methods including, but not limited to, the City’s email list, flyers, handouts, and announcements on the cable TV station.

Disgusted, I remain,

Jeff “Gus” Ensminger

EDITOR

DeltonaBonaFide.com

DELTONA CITIZENS GROUP SAYS to VOTE NO on PD

Deltona Citizens Action Committee Chairwoman Nancy Schleicher informs:

“We feel the figures the City uses do not reflect the true cost to the residents,” she said. “According to the consultants, it is ‘feasible’ although costs for Deltona were never clearly shown.  According to the Willdan report, only DeLand has a smaller law enforcement budget but with a population of 26,905 while cities of similar size to Deltona showed considerably higher police budgets of $20 million up to $38 million.  We question how the City of Deltona can possibly afford a police department for $8.8 million.”

“Once again we ask why change. We urge a NO vote for a Deltona Police Department."

Click here for full story

ACCORDING TO THE WILLDAN FEASIBILITY STUDY:

• The available statistics shows the residents have faith in the sheriff's office when problems arise.

• The overall crime rate for the City of Deltona has dropped 19.8% over the past eight years.

• Establishing a police department for a City of Deltona is a complex and costly undertaking.

• Total estimated costs for Establishing A City of Deltona Police Department: $14,623,956

• The current contract with the Sheriff's office is only $9,205,672.

• It will cost about $6 million more tax dollars to have your own PD vs keeping the Sheriff's Office

• The City of Deltona currently enjoys a low crime rate - much credit can be attributed to the VCSO

• With the Sheriff's Office, the City has been well served with a professional police presence throughout the City.

• Deltona will be burdened with disciplinary procedures, internal investigations, and other issues.

• Employees' experience may be affected or limited.

• The projected size of the Department will restrict promotions - this could influence turnover.

• Police Officers would earn less than Sheriff's Deputies, which may result in less experienced law

Despite the PD cost being 65% more than the Sheriff's contract, and despite their acknowledgement that the VCSO has done a great job of providing law enforcement for the City, the consultants are recommending that the city start its own police department.

WHY? you ask.

It is interesting to note that the consultants who conducted the study and made the recommendation to take the more costly route are also offering their management and financing services to the City to help you manage the complex and costly task of starting your own police department.

Sounds like the consultants have a potential financial interest in which way the decision goes.  No wonder they want you to start up a PD despite the burden it will place on your already weak City budget.

These projections conveniently do not include OVERTIME pay.  Overtime should be factored in.

These projections also do not include a Police Headquarters Building.  How much will that cost?

Why should you pay more tax dollars for less law enforcement?

It would be much cheaper to simply add more Deputies on patrol in Deltona.

Mayor Mulder, to support his desire for a Deltona Police Department, used the City of DeLand as the model for his own personal feasibility study.

But here are some facts that Mayor Mulder neglected to tell you:

In addition to the $5.4 million spent annually on their own police department, DeLand pays $330,000 to the Sheriff for additional services because, they said, the Sheriff provides better service at lower cost.

DeLand's crime rate is nearly 3 times higher than Deltona's, but Deltona's population is 3 times higher than DeLand's!

Some model!

2004 DELTONA XBOX MURDERS:  SHERIFF'S OFFICE CAPTURED

THE MURDERERS WITHIN 48 HOURS

But the Mulder-lead Commission took more than 8 months

to hire a City Manager!  8 months!

Do you want a new, inexperienced Police Department with temporary police chiefs protecting your family and community from thugs like the xbox murderers?

INCOMPETENCE IN CHARGE

In the last several years, Deltona has been mired down with turnover controversies, budget deficiencies, scandal, charges of corruption, leadership in-fighting, commissioners taking tax money for personal use, abuse of authority, secrecy, out-of-control spending, low City employee morale, polarized community, Mayor granting special privileges, and other negative news.

Is this how you want to compromise the safety of your community?

Full story:

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/WestVolusia/wvlWEST01071608.htm

Examine the various studies for yourself:

OFFICIAL FEASIBILITY STUDY as produced by the WILLDAN consultants (FINAL REPORT)

OFFICIAL Volusia County Sheriff's Office Study

OFFICIAL Existing VCSO-Deltona Contract