BROOKSVILLE — The Hernando County Commission voted 5-0 to spend $50,000 in tourist tax money on a July 4 celebration marking the nation’s 250th birthday, brushing aside objections from residents who said the chosen site is too close to wooded areas for fireworks.
The event, formally titled “Hernando County’s Salute to America 250,” will run from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Sand Hill Scout Reservation and could draw as many as 25,000 people, Commissioner Ryan Amsler said.
Plans call for a combined fireworks and drone show, historical reenactments, a car show, a family activity zone, live entertainment, food trucks and vendors. The event grew from an idea pitched by several community members and formalized in a letter from Blake Bell and Dawn Triconi of Brooksville Main Street, though Amsler stressed it is not a Brooksville Main Street event despite what he called the controversy online.
A broad coalition of organizations is involved, including the county, Florida’s Adventure Coast Visitors Bureau, the city of Brooksville, the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution, Greater Tampa Bay Area Council Scouting America, the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, Hernando County Fire Rescue and the Hernando Historical Museum Association.
Some residents objected to the Scout Reservation site, warning that launching fireworks near a wooded area is risky. But Commissioner John Allocco noted that the intersection leading to the property is six lanes wide and fully signalized, and Amsler said the sprawling Scout property has hosted reenactments before.
A traffic and road construction issue near Anderson Snow Park, another potential venue, also factored into the site choice.
The item was originally at the end of the agenda but was moved up at Amsler’s request so residents who came to speak on it would not have to sit through hours of other business.
“It’s a pretty big deal,” Amsler said. “People remember the 200-year mark. I’m 42, so it was before my time, but 250 is a really big deal to patriots here in Hernando County.”
The $50,000 will go directly to a vendor and come from the county’s tourism tax. A grant had been sought but was not awarded.
Commissioner Steve Champion said the milestone demands recognition, noting there is even talk in Washington of a commemorative $250 bill. A House measure, H.R. 1761, would direct the Treasury to print $250 Federal Reserve notes featuring a portrait of President Donald Trump. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Financial Services.
“We need to celebrate this country,” Allocco said, estimating the cost at roughly 20 to 25 cents per resident. “Come on, let’s make this happen. It’s something that’s positive for the whole community.”
Commission Chairman Jerry Campbell called it “the biggest no-brainer of no-brainers.”
“This has to be done,” he said. “We have to do this.”
Mary Sheldon, president of the Hernando Historical Museum, said she was delighted with the broad organizational support.
“It’s our history that we’re going to be celebrating that day,” she said.
Gun range
A resident’s suggestion for a public gun range that could be shared by the Sheriff’s Office and civilians sparked a wide-ranging discussion touching on gun laws, the Second Amendment and federal excise taxes on firearms and ammunition.
Champion claimed that Sheriff Al Nienhuis’s opposition to open carry amounts to opposing the Second Amendment. Champion also said there is a 13% excise tax on ammunition, but federal rates are actually 10% on pistols and revolvers and 11% on other firearms, shells and cartridges, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Revenue from those taxes can go only to governments.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Commissioner Brian Hawkins said of a shared range. “I grew up near a municipal range.”
Allocco expressed concern about expanding government operations and potential liability.
County Administrator Jeff Rogers said the county is already in the design phase for a Sheriff’s Office shooting range. A $1 million appropriation is in the pipeline, he said, but Tallahassee has not finalized the funding.