Hernando County budget holds line on tax rate, cuts some programs

BROOKSVILLE — Assembled before them in a packed chambers, county commissioners late Thursday saw the faces of the difficult choices they have had to make over the last several months.

Tax cut advocates sat next to retirees worried about whether they can afford to live here; residents backing the core services of government watched alongside county employees fearing for their jobs.

By the end of a 21/2 hour discussion, the board had found a balance that didn't make any of the groups completely happy.

They held the line on the tax rate for the coming year and approved a total budget topping $400.8 million, which includes a $111.2 million general fund.

Approval of the overall budget was unanimous but Commissioner Jim Adkins was the sole vote against the millage rate. The approved rate is the same as last year's at 6.3431 mills or $6.34 in tax for every $1,000 in appraised taxable property value to support county services.

Adkins was among those most unsatisfied with the result.

He found no support on the board for three initiatives: To find money for the sheriff to continue running the DARE drug-education program, to keep open the sheriff's five substations, and to lower the tax rate.

Audience members lined up to ask commissioners to cut the property tax. It would be "a good signal to the voters of the county,'' said Wayne Dukes. The commissioners, he said, have done nothing to help "the man on the street.''

Tax-cut activist Linda Hayward said the proposed budget showed plenty of examples of needlessly spending tax dollars.

"I hate to say it, but you haven't done a thing for me,'' said county resident Anthony Palmieri. "You've got to come down on this millage rate.''

County employee Dan Oliver stood to refute those points.

"I think you are all crazy if you even think about reducing the millage rate,'' he said, pointing out that the essential services government provides. "You can drop it, but what are you going to be left with?'' Oliver asked.

"Everything we do here costs money,'' said Spring Hill resident Leo Jacobs. "Nobody wants to pay for anything, but everybody wants everything.''

Anger over tax rate

Nobleton resident Anna Liisa Covell argued that the tax cut idea should have been talked about far earlier in the budgeting process. "Don't use it as a sound bite to get your name in the paper,'' she said to Adkins.

Hernando County Property Appraiser Alvin Mazourek told commissioners that he knew they had a hard decision but "the millage rate is as low as it was in 1986 in the general fund.''

Cutting the tax rate to the level suggested by Adkins would have a long-term impact on county revenue, county staff told commissioners.

Adkins pressed to get details of the dollar amounts in various county reserve funds. About $6 million is set aside to help the county balance the budget over the next two years. Another $2.5 million is for emergencies. Nearly $8 million is money carrying over from this year into next year.

Why not carry forward less money and provide some tax relief for the property owners, suggested Adkins. But Commission Chairman Dave Russell said that would come back to haunt the county next year.

"I do not want to be part and parcel of a potential tax increase next year,'' Russell said.

Adkins tried twice with different tax cut amounts to garner support for his idea. Both motions died for lack of a second.

The budget of Sheriff Richard Nugent was also a focus for the hearing participants.

Two weeks ago, the commission settled on a compromise budget amount of $31.9 million. That was $350,000 more than what Nugent is expected to spend this year but not enough to fund the DARE program, the community substations and several other programs and positions, Nugent said.

Several citizens spoke in support of Nugent and his programs while several others questioned his spending and operations. Members of the sheriff's Explorer program pleaded for the DARE program because those officers assist the Explorers.

Plea for substations

Supporters of the substations made their case to the commission as well.

"I'm really concerned if you close our substation because that would put us 16 miles from the nearest sheriff's office,'' said Ridge Manor substation worker Carol DeFilippo. "It's visual stability with law enforcement. It's all we have in Ridge Manor.''

Adkins suggested using the interest earned by the money set aside to build a new judicial center to pay for the DARE program as well as the substations.

Commissioner Jeff Stabins said the county's judges, who have long asked for more courtroom space, would not be happy to see money disappear from the judicial center fund.

Commissioner John Druzbick said he had been working with the sheriff to find out if another funding mechanism might also help bail out part of the DARE program but he was not sure the state funding source could be used for that purpose.

Nugent said he was willing to continue to explore those other funding possibilities. Adkins, however, asked if the board would approve using the interest money while officials did that research.

County Administrator David Hamilton tried to dissuade the board from touching the fund. "That's not considered fiscally prudent'' and "it doesn't make a lot of good sense'' to take those earnings and use them for operational costs, he said.

If the commission decides later that they don't want to build the judicial center, then they could choose to use the $18 million saved for some other worthy project, such as improving County Line Road, Hamilton said.

Adkins was unable to get support for his idea. Even Commissioner Rose Rocco, who seconded his motion to discuss it, withdrew that second after the discussion ended.

Barbara Behrendt can be reached at behrendt@sptimes.com or (352) 848-1434.