Hernando County public notices arrived after hearings amid website shift

A packet of legally required public notices from Hernando County arrived by first-class mail only after the publicly noticed meetings had already concluded, undercutting the point of notice rules that are meant to give residents time to prepare comments, seek continuances, or challenge proposals before boards vote.

The late delivery surfaced as the county continues a broader shift away from newspaper publication and toward online posting of certain legal notices on the county’s website, a change made possible by updates to Florida’s public-notice laws that took effect Jan. 1, 2023. Under the 2022 legislation, HB 7049, local governments may publish notices on a publicly accessible county website instead of in a printed newspaper, so long as statutory conditions are met, including a cost test.

Hernando County’s Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously on Oct. 14, 2025, to adopt an ordinance allowing website-only publication without running those notices in a local newspaper. Deputy County Administrator Toni Brady told commissioners the change would save about $60,000 to $65,000. During that same meeting, Hernando Sun co-founder and co-publisher Julie Maglio urged commissioners to reconsider, arguing the change would harm transparency and local business and warning that mailing costs could rise as more residents request paper delivery.

Access concerns also surfaced publicly at that Oct. 14 meeting. Local resident Kelly Dodson raised questions about residents without internet access. Commissioner Steve Champion responded that most people have access to a smartphone.

State law now explicitly contemplates that website posting must be paired with access for residents and property owners who request notices by first-class mail or email, including maintenance of a registry of those requests and periodic reminders that those options exist. For certain county actions, Florida law also sets minimum timelines intended to protect public participation. Florida Statutes §125.66, for example, requires notice of intent to consider a county ordinance to be given at least 10 days before the meeting by publication.

The delayed mailing episode followed a roughly six-week effort to secure first-class mail delivery of notices that were being posted online. County officials were working to determine whether the breakdown stemmed from internal processing, printing and mailing vendors, or Postal Service delays.

In a documented earlier complaint, resident Rocco Maglio submitted a written request on Feb. 4, 2026, to receive county self-published public notices by mail. He later received a letter from Hernando County Clerk of Court Doug Chorvat Jr., received Feb. 21, 2026, acknowledging the request but focusing on how to receive email links and warning that choosing mail would mean “losing out on valuable time” to gather facts and voice concerns.

Hernando County’s public notice portal has been operated through a third-party platform, Column, with a reported software cost of $4,000 per month. Written requests for first-class mail delivery of public notices posted on the government website were directed to Hernando County Administration at 15470 Flight Path Drive, Brooksville, FL 34604.