BROOKSVILLE — Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis has proposed a $107.5 million budget for fiscal 2027, a request that covers law enforcement, detention, courthouse security and animal services.
The proposal arrives as the county heads into a contentious budget season. According to County Administrator Jeff Rogers’ fiscal 2027 budget update, every constitutional officer except the supervisor of elections is seeking an increase — even as residents press for lower taxes at nearly every commission meeting.
Nienhuis’ request breaks down as follows, with reserves held by the county commission listed separately:
• Law enforcement: $78,154,220, up 11.83%; reserves of $14,458,531
• Detention: $24,716,192, up 4.6%; reserves of $4,572,496
• Courthouse security: $2,652,160, up 12.54%; reserves of $490,650
• Animal services: $2,013,161, up 7.41%; reserves of $372,435
In dollar terms, the proposal represents increases of $5.36 million for law enforcement, $1.08 million for detention, $295,427 for courthouse security and $194,942 for animal services.
Readying for debate
Commissioners face difficult choices ahead. If the November referendum on property taxes draws more than 60% of the vote, they will have to cut services and staffing, raise fees or both.
County Commissioner Steve Champion has positioned himself as a defender of Hernando County taxpayers and business owners, and department heads seeking more money or funding for a pet project can expect tough questioning from him.
Champion has said he hopes the referendum passes and forces local governments to rein in spending. But he has warned that governments may try to preserve revenue by creating special taxing districts — a workaround he calls a form of “theft.”
Limiting increases
In his letter to commissioners, Nienhuis wrote that he included funding for only eight of the 32 deputies the agency needs, and that five of the eight would be paid for just half the fiscal year.
He noted that while Hernando is the state’s 27th-most populous county, it ranks 52nd in per capita public safety spending. The agency is also absorbing higher costs for health insurance, employee benefits and technology.
Nienhuis is also seeking money for maintenance and facility improvements, including a shooting range and driving pad that he said are more than five years behind schedule. The delays have left the agency dependent on outside partners, he said, limiting access and raising training costs.
On the web: https://www.hernandosheriff.org/documents/budget/2027Budget/FY2027_HCSO_Proposed_Budget_Book.pdf
Photos by VINCENT F. SAFUTO/Hernando Today
HT-SHERIFFSBUDGET1-07152026 – The headquarters of the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office is shown.
File of Al Nienhuis speaking to County Commission