Alachua County, etc. v. Clovis Watson, Jr., etc.

Supreme Court of Florida ____________ No. SC19-2016 ____________ ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA, etc., Petitioner, vs. CLOVIS WATSON, JR., etc.,1 Respondent. January 27, 2022 COURIEL, J. In this case, we decide how two statutes divide between a county and its sheriff the power to make changes to the sheriff’s budget. Specifically, the parties ask us to determine a sheriff’s authority to transfer money within the sheriff’s budget at a certain level of detail—what is called the “object” level—under chapters 30 and 129, Florida Statutes (2020). After the Sheriff of Alachua County (Sheriff) moved…