Hernando County weighs fire tax increase amid public safety push

Hernando County’s fire tax fight turned into a test of accountability Wednesday as commissioners challenged department leaders to justify a 4% to 6% increase that officials said could bring in about $45 million. Rather than advance the request, the board demanded more data on what residents would lose if the money stays flat.

Hernando County Fire Rescue and the county’s public safety director told commissioners the higher assessment was needed to keep up with growth, rising call volume, new stations, upgraded equipment and additional staffing. Jason Haas, president of Hernando County Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 3760, tied the request directly to the strain on crews. “The more calls we get, the more trucks and more personnel we need on the road. With the growth that has happened, we are trying to catch up to that and get to a point that we’re comfortable again,” he said.

But commissioners were not persuaded that the department had made its case. Steve Champion, the vice chair of the commission, sharply criticized the leadership and said he had no confidence in it. “I think you’re doing a terrible job. I want to tell you that personally, this is unacceptable, these numbers. I have no confidence in your leadership. None whatsoever,” Champion said. The board stopped short of voting on the tax proposal and instead asked fire officials to return with more information showing the consequences of not approving the increase.

The dispute lands in a county already spending heavily on public safety. Hernando County’s adopted public safety budget for fiscal 2024-25 totaled $107,879,859, with Fire and Emergency Services accounting for $105,773,376 of that amount. That budget was up 29% from fiscal 2023-24, underscoring how quickly the county’s emergency costs have climbed as homes and commercial development spread across Hernando.

Fire Station 15 is one of the clearest examples of that expansion. The station, in early pre-construction along U.S. 19 in Weeki Wachee, received a $6,511,800 contract on May 26, with Bandes Construction Co. winning the job over 10 other bidders. A separate Florida Senate local funding request sought $5 million in state money for the station, which the request said carries an $8 million total price tag and $3 million in local matching funds. The document listed a construction start date of March 2, 2026, and a completion date of July 30, 2027.

The tax battle also sits on top of an already rising fire rescue assessment. Commissioners approved a 5.75% increase in the residential fire rescue MSBU for fiscal 2026 in 2025, and county materials say the non-ad valorem assessment may rise by no more than 7% annually for the next five years, unless the board changes that limit. For now, the question is whether Hernando’s fire problem is mainly growth-driven demand or a management failure that still needs a harder answer.