Open Star: Inside the Law Behind Bonuses

Dear Editor,

I have been asked many questions about the legality of the Lee County Sheriff offering bonuses to the employees of the Sheriff’s Office. Members from different aspects of our community, from business leaders to blue collar workers and Republicans to Democrats all have the same question: Is what the current sheriff doing legal? Why is he doing this?

I cannot speak for anyone, but I can tell you what the law says. My Open Star program is designed to shed light into all aspects of your Sheriff’s Office, as you see I am doing in this letter.

Florida Statutes regulate how public employees receive bonuses. The following things must happen in order for the bonus to be legal: The award must be based on work performance, the performance standards and evaluation processes by which a bonus will be awarded needs to be established and known to all employees, the sheriff must notify all employees of the policy before the beginning of the evaluation period on which a bonus will be based, and the sheriff must consider all employees for the bonus. None of these conditions have been met.

It would be heartbreaking to offer a bonus only to have it found illegal and then be required to pay a fine or some other penalty out of the pockets of the tax payers or the deputies down the road.

I am very much for rewarding hard work and dedication. I’d rather see a cost of living increase of salaries to offset inflation for the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office rather than a hastily constructed, illicit bonus with unknown intentions.

In this case the law is very clear.

Lee Bushong
Candidate, Lee County Sheriff
Lehigh Acres, Fl

Lee Bushong is a Non-Party Affiliated candidate for Lee County Sheriff. He is a former lieutenant with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. More information can be found by visiting http://www.lee2012.com/..

1. 

   Harry Henderson says:

   September 9, 2012 at 11:39 am

   First off I am not a Mike Scott fan. But after reading this as well as Mr Bushong’s opinion on the murders of the county taking place, he has stated if elected the rate will go down. That was the piece of the pie that lost my vote. Now he really is disillusioned to think that he is going to affect a crime of passion at the moment it occurs. This is causing the rest of what he says to be questionable.

   We know there are issues with the current sheriff. But so far at least he is realistic about goals and objectives that can be met. This Bushong guy really scares me.

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