This is a petition to show the Okeechobee Board of County Commissioners that there is strong support of keeping the Sheriff's Office functioning even if it does mean implementing a new tax in helping them makes ends meet that are necessary to keep the S.O. going at the same level they are already at. We cannot afford to go back 10 years, but we also have to come together to help them solve the problems and give public input. A 1.5 (one and a half) cent sales tax per purchase, (not for every item, just a total sale, less than 5000 dollars) would go a long way in closing that gap, and it would not just affect residents of this county, but anyone who stopped in the county and made a purchase. The EMS already has a special tax that is included in your property taxes every year, as well as the school board and other entities. It is very apparent something has to be done to make ends meet in our county. Surely, the Sheriff's Office is due the same thing. This is purely for informational purposes to be presented to the board to show support for the implementation of this new tax, and that we are willing to pay that tax to make sure we keep more than 6 deputies on the road, and our jails remain secure. Public Safety is PRICELESS!! Here is the link to the tax information the county can impose: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/taxes/discretionary.html