The Broward County Mayor, Mark Bogen, along with commissioners Lamar Fisher and Michael Udine, ordered the county auditor to review how the Sheriff’s Office (BSO) under Gregory Tony manages its budget of approximately 870 million dollars, in an escalation of a dispute that has been unresolved for months.
NBC Miami reported that the first step will be to formally request the budget documents. Bogen announced that he will personally visit the training center next Monday. If the BSO does not provide the documents before that date, the county may begin legal action to obtain them.
What the commissioners are accusing
Bogen went straight to the point in addressing sheriff Gregory Tony: "What are you hiding? Why aren't you cooperating? Why aren't you providing us with the information that taxpayers deserve? We want accountability, transparency, and to ensure that the money is being spent appropriately."
The mayor also questioned whether the new Research, Development, and Training Center (RDTC) of the BSO includes a massage table, sauna, spa, and cold plunge pool. This center was budgeted at 34 million dollars in 2019 and ultimately cost nearly 73.7 million, an overrun of almost 40 million.
A county audit conducted in 2024 identified approximately $500,000 in branded items bearing the name and image of Tony himself, about $7.5 million in project alterations related to wellness facilities, and roughly $1.4 million in potential overpayments to the contractor ANF Group.
"How is accountability and transparency managed when you are not even committed to us? That is the big question," said Commissioner Fisher.
Sheriff Tony's response
Gregory Tony was quick to respond. In a video posted on his social media, he rejected the accusations regarding the RDTC, arguing that the money does not go to any spa, cold plunge pool, or wellness center.
The Sheriff's Office indicated that more than $8 million of the cost overruns correspond to requirements imposed by the county itself: six million for drainage changes, 1.1 million for air conditioning, and one million for permits. They also warned that the 2024 report identified deficiencies in the county's oversight of the project.
"However, the conversation continues to revolve around the installation while the issue that started with this conflict remains unresolved: competitive salaries for BSO employees," Tony wrote on Facebook.
The Sheriff's Office indicated that its agents continue to deliver results for Broward. It states that the crime rate, violent crime, and property crime have decreased by 23%.
«93% of residents say they feel confident that there is no crime, while 77% support competitive salaries for BSO employees. County Commissioners, it is time to stop going in circles and focus on the people who protect our community,» stated the Sheriff.
Background: ICE and the pressure from the Attorney General
This is not Gregory Tony's first political confrontation. In June 2025, he publicly stated that he preferred to focus on combating crime rather than taking direct action against illegal immigration.
The Attorney General of Florida, James Uthmeier, sent a formal letter warning that state law mandates cooperation with federal immigration authorities and that a refusal could result in his removal by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Tony clarified and reaffirmed the BSO's cooperation with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with which it has had two agreements since 2019 and 2025.
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