"Sheriff Rick Roth's spending is out of control," said Attorney Phil Mandina, who will be challenging Roth in the Republican primary in September.
"Monroe County has the distinction of having the most expensive law enforcement, not only in the state, but in the entire nation," Mandina said.
Across the country, the average cost of a sworn officer is $67,100, according to US Dept. of Justice, Mandina said. The City of Key West averages about $74,000 per officer.
"But the per-officer average cost at the Sheriff's Dept. is $106,000!" Mandina said.
Mandina also pointed to Dept. of justice statistics that reveal that, across the nation, law enforcement costs averaged about $150 per resident.
"Based on a population of 80,000, the Sheriff's Dept. costs each resident in this county a whooping $400 per year!" Mandina said.
"Also, the Sheriff's budget has almost doubled since Roth took over and turnover of personnel has tripled— and he hasn't added a new deputy or program of consequence.
"But in spite of these budget increases, the pay for a Monroe County Sheriff's Deputy ranks among the lowest in the state," Mandina said.
"Make no mistake about it. The budget is a major issue in this campaign— especially when you consider that the Republican Party is the party of fiscal responsibility."