At the Oct. 27th Board of County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner John Sgromolo described an email he had received as an attack on Clay County’s law enforcement officers.
“The email that I got was a direct attack on our law enforcement officers, saying they’re making too much money,” Sgromolo said. “That just does not sit well with me whatsoever.”
CN&V obtained the email through a public records request. It contains no written message.
What The Email Contained
Clay County resident Howard Fryer sent the email at 3:16 p.m. on Oct. 26th, the day before the meeting. It went to all five county commissioners. The subject line read “CCSO Salaries from 10-25 - 10-26.”
The email body was blank. The county’s records office confirmed that no text was removed from the copy it released.
The email had one attachment. It was a 23-page list of Clay County Sheriff’s Office employees showing each person’s job title, hire date, pay grade, and annual salary. The Sheriff's Office produced the list from its payroll system. Florida law makes public employees' salary information a public record.
The list included no notes, highlighting, or commentary.
What The Commissioner Said
Sgromolo’s comments came near the end of the meeting. The vote on Amendment 3 was one week away. The amendment would expand property tax exemptions for homeowners.
“We live in a society where we should be able to have robust discussions, agree to disagree,” Sgromolo said. “But I refuse to believe that Clay County residents think that’s the best way for tax relief.”
He said people move to Clay County because it is safe and has good schools. He said all five commissioners want to keep it that way.
“For me, that’s a non-negotiable,” Sgromolo said. “It really rubbed me the wrong way. We’ve got to continue to back the blue and our firefighters.”
CN&V emailed Sgromolo on Nov. 6th to ask what he considered an attack. He did not respond before publication.
The Sender Responds
CN&V emailed Fryer, and he responded the same day.
“Let me be clear: I am in no way attacking law enforcement,” Fryer wrote.
Fryer confirmed his email had no commentary. He said he sent the salary list in response to comments from Commissioner Kristen Burke. According to Fryer, Burke had warned that law enforcement jobs could be cut if Amendment 3 passed.
“Had they reviewed the document, they would have understood my point,” Fryer wrote. “There is room to adjust the sheriff’s budget without cutting frontline law enforcement positions.”
He also criticized Sgromolo for using a public meeting “to show his support for those who helped get him elected.”
Sheriff Cook endorsed Sgromolo when he ran for office in 2024.
“I support our first responders,” Fryer wrote. “What I don’t appreciate is having legitimate questions about public spending twisted into an attack on them.”
What The Salary Data Shows
The list Fryer sent reflected salaries as of October 2025. To provide current figures, CN&V analyzed a Sheriff’s Office salary roster obtained through a public records request in August 2026. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed the salary figures.
The analysis covers 784 full-time salaried employees and about $52.8 million in base pay. It excludes overtime, benefits, and part-time, hourly, and unpaid positions. CN&V did not use any employee’s name.
Most Deputies Earn Modest Salaries
The agency has 120 patrol deputies. Their median salary is $57,913. Two-thirds of them earn less than $60,000. The most common patrol deputy salary on the roster is $56,243.
Across all line deputies, including patrol, detention, school resource, and court deputies, the median salary is $61,450. No line deputy or detective earns more than about $85,000.
Pay Climbs With Rank
Pay rises with each step up the chain of command. The median sergeant earns $84,011. The median lieutenant earns $101,774.
The agency’s top 24 leaders earn a median of $153,910. This group includes the sheriff, the undersheriff, five directors, seven chiefs, and seven assistant chiefs. It also includes the agency’s chief financial officer, chief information officer, and general counsel.
Leadership salaries are set in uniform tiers. Each director earns $175,912. Each chief earns $153,910. Each assistant chief earns $131,929. The sheriff earns $244,461, about four times the median patrol deputy. A state formula sets the sheriff’s salary.
These 24 leaders make up 3 percent of the workforce. They draw 7.3 percent of base payroll, about $3.9 million a year. Every employee who earns $150,000 or more is in this group.
In total, 49 employees earn $100,000 or more. Most are executive leaders or lieutenants.
Civilian Employees Earn Less
Civilians make up about one-third of the agency’s full-time staff. Their median salary is $52,707. The median for sworn employees is $63,565.
The lowest-paid full-time jobs at the agency are civilian. Custodians average about $38,000. Records specialists average about $41,000. Public service aides average about $42,000.
One civilian group earns more than most deputies. The agency’s 12 executive and senior staff assistants earn a median of $68,120. That is about $10,000 more than the median patrol deputy.
Most of these assistants have worked at the agency for a decade or more. Most patrol deputies on the roster were hired within the last two years. Length of service likely accounts for part of the difference.