BELLEAIR — Belleair Police Chief Rick Doyle told town commissioners Sept. 15 that the property tax amendment on the November ballot could force cuts to officers and services in a department that gets more than 93% of its money from the town’s General Fund.
“If we are forced to reduce that funding, the question isn’t whether there will be an impact,” Doyle said. “The question is, what services will we have to give up, reduce or delay to absorb that reduction?”
Doyle’s presentation was the latest in a series in which town department heads, following parks and recreation and public works, have outlined what Amendment 3 could mean for their operations. The measure needs 60% voter approval Nov. 3 to pass. The General Fund, which pays for most day-to-day town operations, is expected to take the biggest hit.
“The police department is overwhelmingly funded through the town’s General Fund,” Doyle said. “Approximately 93.4% of our funding, or about $3.175 million, comes from the General Fund.”
About 85% of the department’s budget, roughly $2.9 million, goes to personnel, he said. The department has 13 full-time and 10 part-time sworn officers, three sworn reserve officers and two full-time civilian employees. Its officers average 29 years in law enforcement and eight years with Belleair.
Hiring experienced officers saves the town about $250,000 per officer in training costs compared with hiring an academy recruit, Doyle said.
The remaining 15%, or about $500,000, covers operating costs such as technology, communications, equipment and training.
“So, when we talk about reducing a police budget, we need to understand that eventually those reductions affect personnel and services, not simply discretionary spending,” Doyle said.
Beyond traffic details and crime prevention, the department handles duties ranging from code enforcement to house checks to recovering lost pets. It also works community events such as the Sunset 5K, Santa Gift Delivery and several parades.
“And perhaps one of the most important things is our relationship with other agencies,” Doyle said.
The department depends on the General Fund, he said, to provide “the elevated level of service our residents currently receive.”
Amendment 3 does list public safety among the core needs that property tax revenue could still pay for. But Doyle said “public safety does not operate in a vacuum,” noting the department relies on other town functions such as finance, human resources and IT.
“I want to emphasize something here,” he said. “Simply identifying public safety as a permitted use does not necessarily mean that every existing police service is protected at its current level.”
Communities with bigger budgets may be able to absorb cuts without hurting public safety, Doyle said, but a town the size of Belleair has far less room.
After the presentation, several residents spoke up for the department.
Phillip Dean, a former Air Force intelligence officer, said the chief “sets the bar pretty high.”
“The level of security I have here is what I fought for in the military,” Dean said. “And I can tell you, I wouldn’t want to change anything about that.”
Karla Rettstatt, a former commissioner and president of the Belleair Community Foundation, said residents “have consistently voiced their strong support for maintaining our dedicated police department,” citing its ties to the community and rapid response times.
“Let’s not let this go,” she said.
Dan Doyle Sr., co-founder of DEX Imaging and co-owner of Pelican Golf Club, said he rarely speaks at meetings despite attending many over the years.
“Why do you think people want to move to our town? Because it’s a great town!” he said. “And you have to protect the police if you’re going to have a great town.”
“They’ve done a great job,” he added. “And I don’t think you pay them enough, quite frankly.”
The chief had made the same point in his presentation, noting Belleair officers rank 11th in pay among the 13 law enforcement agencies in Pinellas County.
“I assure you, there is not one Belleair officer working here because of the pay,” he said. “We all do it for the love of our town and the support of our residents.”
Mayor Mike Wilkinson said the stakes reach beyond the police department.
“I think, as the chief said, local control is what’s at stake,” Wilkinson said. “Not just over our police department, but all of our operations.”
Town Commission approves budget
Commissioners unanimously approved a fiscal 2027 budget of $55,571,941 for all funds, nearly $610,000 less than the current year’s, and voted 5-0 to keep the property tax rate at 6.9777 mills for a third straight year. That is about $6.98 for every $1,000 of taxable property value.
Water, sewer and solid waste rates will rise slightly, which officials attributed to rising costs for those services across the county.
The new budget, tax rate and utility rates take effect Oct. 1.