What's Next For Sheriff Scott Israel After 'No Confidence' Vote

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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- When the voting was done and the ballots counted, members of the Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association voted "No Confidence" in Sheriff Scott Israel.

628 of the 13 hundred who were eligible voted. 534 said they had no confidence in the sheriff.

"This is a rarity to have a no confidence vote and is not taken lightly," said Jeff Bell, Union President.  "But the membership said if the sheriff is not going to show amazing leadership to the citizens of Broward county then we as an association will step up and prove to the citizens that we have the courage to stand up to the sheriff."

On Thursday, Sheriff Israel called the vote inconsequential; pointing out this is just one of several BSO unions. "You have to remember this is one small portion of a union.  The largest union of this agency staunchly supports us."

Blanca Torrents Greenwood is the former Executive Director of the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association. She notes the number of people who voted are a small percentage of BSO'S total employees and less than half of that union's members.

"There's always an impact when you look at negative," Greenwood said. "But when you look at the positive, a significant number of people do have confidence in the sheriff.  It's all going to boil down to his ability to keep leading and to really just focus on the mission at hand."

Bell says there is no way to know how the vast majority of BSO employees feel about the sheriff because their unions never called for a vote.

"Those unions did not allow their membership to cast a vote to say whether or not they had confidence in Sheriff Israel or not," Bell said.

Bell says the vote is largely symbolic.

Greenwood agrees believing the most important opinion will come from Broward County voters.

"Big picture, he answers to the voters. He is an elected sheriff and the people are going to determine whether he's fit to continue being sheriff," said Greenwood.

Something else to consider when looking at the vote is the motivation. The union says the Sheriff has demonstrated poor leadership and bad policy decisions.  The Sheriff says this is all about him denying union member a six and a half percent raise.