VERO BEACH — A union representing deputies in Indian River County is demanding a public apology from Commissioner Joseph Flescher, accusing him of mocking the financial struggles of sheriff’s office employees during recent budget hearings.
In a letter sent to Flescher this week, the Indian River Deputies Association highlighted comments he made at hearings on July 9 and Aug. 11, calling them dismissive and insincere. The group said Flescher’s remarks belittled the personal stories shared by deputies and civilian staff about living paycheck to paycheck amid rising costs.
“Words matter, and the trust between our community, its leaders, and its first responders depends on honesty, respect, and accountability,” the letter stated.
During the July 9 budget hearing, employees testified about hardships, including difficulties affording family health care and relying on food stamps or school lunches to make ends meet. Flescher responded by sharing his own past experience, saying, “When I first started, I had to fish in the river so my family could eat.”
The association, noting Flescher’s background with the New York Police Department before joining local law enforcement, said many deputies viewed the comment as out of touch.
Things escalated at the Aug. 11 supplemental hearing, according to the letter. While deputies were on duty protecting schools, Flescher allegedly smirked while criticizing their testimonies as “misinformation.” He questioned claims about a “mass exodus” to other agencies and deputies applying for food stamps, saying, “We don’t have deputies at the Up Center, there’s not a mass exodus to south of the border to other jurisdictions, we’re not seeing what we are hearing, and all of what was said taking the school lunches so the family could eat.”
He added, “Much of the stuff that was talked about in the workshop, about deputies applying for food stamps, I don’t really think that’s taking place.”
The association pushed back, pointing to stark realities: Starting deputies earn wages that barely cover the county’s fair market rent of $1,948 a month for a three-bedroom home, per 2025 HUD data. Over the past four years, more than 30 deputies have left for better-paying jobs elsewhere, with similar numbers retiring or shifting to private sector roles. Many employees skip dental or vision coverage due to costs, the letter said.
“Your comments minimized and ridiculed the very real struggles of the people who protect and serve Indian River County with honor,” it read. “These men and women deserve gratitude and respect, not dismissal and mockery.”
Flescher, who started his first term in 2006, is a former law enforcement officer. The sheriff’s office employs about 547 people, including deputies and support staff, serving a county of roughly 170,000 residents along Florida’s Treasure Coast.
The letter comes amid ongoing budget talks, where employees have advocated for raises to address retention issues. County officials have cited fiscal constraints, but the association argues that ignoring staff hardships erodes morale.
