BROOKSVILLE — The Hernando County Commission approved a budget of nearly $927 million for fiscal 2027 on Sept. 22 and trimmed the property tax rate. Commissioners then warned that next year’s budget won’t come together so easily.
Commissioners voted 5-0 on the budget and millage. The aggregate property tax rate drops to 7.7048 mills from the current 7.8275, just below the rolled-back rate. The rolled-back rate is the rate that would bring in the same revenue from existing property as the year before.
The budget takes effect Oct. 1. It is 6.67% smaller than the fiscal 2026 budget of $993.1 million.
If voters approve Amendment 3 in November, Commissioner Steve Champion said, parks, libraries and other services could face serious changes. The proposed constitutional amendment would raise the homestead exemption, and Champion has long said he hopes it passes.
“It will not be this easy next year,” he said.
Supporters and skeptics disagree on the amendment’s chances. Like all proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution, it needs 60% of the vote to pass.
Final budget
Budget Director Erin Dohren presented the final budget, which had no changes since the previous hearing. County Administrator Jeff Rogers said he is proud of the budget given how fast the county is growing.
The only public comment came from Bob Morgan. He thanked the board for cutting the tax rate and spending but asked whether it could have done better. He also asked about the county’s aggregate debt and where it is reported.
Bracing for 2028
Rogers said he will start work on the next budget soon. He gave commissioners a breakdown of how Amendment 3 could affect the fiscal 2028 budget.
The general fund would lose $24.4 million. Cuts would range from 10% in some areas to 15% to 20% in administration, economic development, emergency management and public information. They would reach 50% in code enforcement, natural resources, parks and recreation, and libraries.
Emergency medical services could lose more than $3.3 million. That would force the county to move ambulances from stations with fewer calls and cut overnight service.
Transportation also could lose $3.3 million, which could delay road and traffic signal work and reduce resurfacing.
Stormwater could lose $456,116, and the health department $437,032.
The scrutiny has already started. At the commission’s regular meeting earlier on Sept. 22, members agreed to review TheBus ridership and costs in January to decide whether the service should be scaled back or ended.
The commission will have two new members by then. Kathryn Birren has already won her seat, and Jeff Holcomb faces a write-in candidate in November.
‘Required government’
Champion said the departments that have grown the most should roll their spending back to 2020 or 2021 levels.
“We have to look at the libraries. I know that’s a bad word, you start saying that,” Champion said.
Rogers said the regional parks might have to be considered too.
Commissioners noted that some rising costs are beyond the county’s control. Rogers pointed to medical and retirement costs. Commissioner John Allocco cited the minimum wage increase Florida voters approved in 2020, which reaches $15 an hour Sept. 30.
Five years ago, Commissioner John Mitten said, the state minimum wage was $5 lower. Every increase costs businesses and governments more.
When the state drove those costs up, Allocco said, it took power away from local governments.
It was suggested that some kind of sales tax might be the answer, letting communities decide what they want to fund. Other commissioners agreed.
“I like the sales tax idea,” Mitten said. He added that it would give property owners relief while paying for the services residents want and the commission expects the administrator to fund.
Allocco said the amendment will have major ramifications. Anyone who thinks there’s an extra $50 million floating around, and that everything will stay the same, is mistaken, he said.
“The job of this board, and every board across the state of Florida, is to provide a balanced budget,” he said. “And when that time comes, we will.”
The cost of first responders will keep rising, he said.
“We’re going to have a very hard time next year, finding the cuts,” Allocco said. “And I think the conversation is going to be, what is ‘required government’ and what is not, because that is what the community has said. They don’t want us to be spending money on things that we’re not required to spend it on.”
Because much of the county’s spending isn’t required, he said, no one will be happy with the outcome.