County Commissioner Joe Flesher is under public scrutiny after a former Indian River County sheriff accused him of disrespecting deputies and misrepresenting his own financial background in a scathing open letter.
Gary C. Wheeler, who served as sheriff and later as a county commissioner, said he regrets hiring Flescher in 1998 and supporting his bid for commissioner. Wheeler’s letter, shared recently with local media, stems from a commission meeting where Flescher allegedly referred to deputies as liars.
“I saw a recent commission meeting where Flescher basically called deputies liars,” Wheeler wrote. “I think Flescher is judging others by who he is.”
Wheeler also took aim at Flescher’s July 9 statement about his early days in Florida, where the commissioner claimed he “had to fish in the river so my family could eat.” According to Wheeler, Flescher omitted key details: He moved from New York with a substantial disability pension, bought a home, and joined the sheriff’s office mainly to boost his income.
Flescher’s statement also upset a union representing deputies in Indian River County, which demanded a public apology from him for allegedly mocking the financial struggles of sheriff’s office employees during recent budget hearings.
An entry-level deputy’s salary in Indian River County hovers around $50,000 annually for a full-time schedule that includes holidays, weekends, shift work, and life-threatening risks — totaling about 2,080 hours a year, Wheeler noted.
By contrast, Flescher earns $82,768 as a commissioner, plus perks such as a car allowance, health insurance, and a generous retirement plan, all for attending roughly two meetings a month, or 24 days a year. Wheeler called the disparity “a bit elitist.”
“First responders should be paid a living wage and have the support and respect of the people they protect and make their community safe,” Wheeler concluded.
Wheeler served as a county commissioner from 1986 to 1992, followed by a term as sheriff from 1992 to 2001. He later returned as a county commissioner from 2004 to 2012 before retiring.
There have been ongoing tensions over public safety funding and employee morale at the sheriff’s office, where law enforcement has pushed for better compensation to match other agencies, including St. Lucie County, Martin County, Vero Beach Police Department, Port St. Lucie Police Department, Fort Pierce Police Department, Indian River County Fire Rescue, and the Florida Highway Patrol.
All neighboring agencies are paying $60,000 to $80,000, far above the deputies’ pay at the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. Last July, Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers requested a $14 million increase to his budget to bring deputies’ pay up to date; however, the county commissioners ultimately agreed to only $6 million.
