Pasco County's new sheriff, Jeff Harrington, says he plans to run for election in 2028 after being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace Chris Nocco, who resigned after winning a seat in the Florida Senate.
Harrington spoke publicly about his new role for the first time, saying he was still getting used to the title.
I am about 14 hours into my tenure as the sheriff of Pasco County. And I look forward to it a great deal, Harrington said.
WATCH: Pasco's new sheriff outlines priorities, says he plans to run for election in 2028
Jeff Harrington Introduced As SheriffHarrington has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, with more than half of that time spent with the Pasco Sheriff's Office. He takes over an agency led by Nocco for 15 years.
Harrington said he intends to maintain the culture Nocco established.
Sheriff Nocco created a great culture in the organization and its my responsibility to keep that going and Ill work hard each and every day to do that, he said.
One of Harrington's main priorities will be addressing traffic problems in a county that has experienced significant growth over the past decade.
He plans to restart the Special Traffic Enforcement Program, formerly known as STEP, and ensure the unit remains fully staffed without diverting its resources to other responsibilities.
Too many crashes. Too many people are identifying traffic problems as their number one priority, Harrington said.
Harrington also acknowledged the potential budget challenges facing Pasco County following voter approval of Amendment 3 in Florida's Nov. 3 election.
The amendment expands the homestead property tax exemption for qualifying homeowners, increasing it to $150,000 for non-school property taxes in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. It does not eliminate property taxes entirely, and school district taxes are not affected.
However, the expanded exemption could mean less property tax revenue for local governments, which rely on those dollars to help pay for services such as law enforcement, roads and infrastructure.
What are we going to do? We are going to sit down with the county commission. We are going to sit down with the constitutionals and we are going to identify what works best for Pasco County, he said.
Harrington's appointment means Pasco County voters will not have an opportunity to choose their next sheriff until 2028. He said he intends to seek the office when that election comes.
The plan is this. I will continue on in the next two years. I have every intention to pursue that after that, Harrington said.
Nocco also became sheriff through a gubernatorial appointment in 2011. The appointment process drew criticism at the time and continues to raise questions about how the county's top law enforcement officer is selected.
Harrington said he understands that voters will ultimately decide whether he remains in the position.
We will see what the men and women and voters of Pasco County say. At the end of the day its all up to them. I will serve this capacity until the people of Pasco County make a decision otherwise, he said.
Harrington said he does not anticipate major changes to the Sheriff's Office, citing his alignment with Nocco's law enforcement philosophy.
