Dave Vincent is more than ready

Happy Thursday! Welcome to 2025.

Let’s start right off with the positive. Had a wonderful Cattle Dog chat with Dave and Angel Vincent just days before he takes over as sheriff following one of the biggest election wins this county has ever seen.

I can’t tell you how psyched I am about “Sheriff Dave Vincent.” I’m not the only one. Dave continues to get huge accolades everywhere he goes. He was elected four months ago and still got second the biggest cheer (behind Santa) along the Christmas parade routes.

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Our chat covered a wide area. I ran out of frozen hot chocolate before we ran out of conversation. 

Let’s hit the high points:

— No communication from Sheriff Mike Prendergast, whose last day is Monday. You know, it’s old hat by now, but the Citrus Countian in me has to wonder about that guy. How could he serve citizens for eight years and then snub the man voters chose to replace him?

— So, no formal transition to speak of. Dave is communicating with the command staff and is working on his plans. Eight years ago, then-Sheriff Jeff Dawsy welcomed Prendergast into the agency to prepare him for the daunting task of Citrus County sheriff.

Prendergast isn’t affording Vincent that same opportunity, so he has done the best he could since August. Look. This is Dave Vincent we’re talking about. He just ran the most successful campaign of any challenger against a two-term incumbent. I don’t believe we should worry about him getting up to speed.

— Expect body-worn cameras for road patrol deputies by June. And he won’t be coming to the County Commission to fund it. Rather, Dave believes the current sheriff’s office budget can handle the quarter-million-dollar cost without hurting services to citizens.

I doubt this is the last time we see Sheriff Vincent find money for popular programs that the current office-holder never attempted.
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— Also coming: new sheriff’s logo. Dave, who did the design work himself on his campaign materials, says it’s time that Citrus County has a new look. I hadn’t given that much thought, but it makes sense. He’s also very cognizant of the public ridicule Prendergast received for plastering his name on patrol cars. 

So, I guess the point is, expect a new logo but not a lot of extravagance.

— Public communication is vital and one of the staples for his electorate's success. The public has felt ignored by a grandstanding sheriff who kept them in the dark. Dave is committed to changing that environment immediately.

I’m not sure what exactly he has in mind, but I’m convinced Dave will be a very public sheriff in a very public agency.

— I wondered about the Prendergast loyalists who will work under Sheriff Vincent. Will he keep them around?

Turns out, he has to. Incredibly, there’s a state law specific to Citrus County that says the new sheriff has to keep the same staff for at least six months after taking office. It also says he can’t reduce anyone’s salary by more than 6%, or drop a commander or captain by more than one rank.

I mention that because, in one of his last acts after losing the election before leaving office, Prendergast issued a slew of promotions. Tens of thousands of dollars in higher salaries and benefits coming mid-year before the new sheriff takes office. Nice.

Dave isn’t thrilled with the situation, but we shouldn’t be surprised. This is exactly why we needed a change in leadership. He’s not letting these snafus interfere in what is a thrilling time in his life.

— Dave’s investiture ceremony is at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Historic Courthouse. 

I’m truly excited about what we’re going to see from this sheriff. Citrus County deserves a community leader in that job, and that’s exactly what we have.

It’s 2025. Ripe for new beginnings.

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