There’s a new Sheriff in town, but he can’t do much to reshape his agency. Lawmakers hope to change that

Citrus County Sheriff Dave Vincent’s plans to reorganize the agency were met immediately by a little-known state law specific to Citrus County.

House Bill 629, from 2001, says the new Sheriff must keep the same staff for six months, can’t reduce anyone’s salary by more than 6%, and can’t drop a commander or captain by more than one rank.

Vincent’s predecessor, Mike Prendergast, issued about a dozen promotions in the weeks following his Primary loss to Vincent.

The Citrus County Legislative Delegation – Sen. Blaise Ingoglia and Rep. JJ Grow – agreed Friday to file a local bill that would repeal HB 629.

– Mike Wright, Florida Politics