The 40 positions will not require addition funding for the current budget year. The money is actually from unspent funds from the Sheriff's corrections budget.

"As we've done for the last couple of years, we're continuously looking for ways to save," Sheriff John Rutherford said.

If City Council approves the transfer of funds this week, 40 new recruits will enter police academy in July. They won't be ready for actual patrols for 11 months.

That could lead to a budget crunch come next year.

The $300,000 allocated to add on the extra officers is a one-time money source. If city lawmakers want to retain the positions past the fiscal year, they will have to approve extra funding for the Sheriff's Office.

"Budgets reflect priorities," Mayor John Peyton told WOKV's Jared Halpern. "What I'm sensing in these communities is that we're putting a stake in the ground. We don't want to be the murder capital of Florida."

Sheriff Rutherford is asking for 225 new officers and has been lobbying the Jacksonville Journey, the Mayor's task force charged with finding solutions to violent crime, to recommend funding the additional positions.

"Although it's a small number, it can have a significant impact once we get them out there," Rutherford says. "The problem is these 40 won't be out there until June of next year."

City Council is expected to approve the additional positions tomorrow.