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Brooksville council approves full fire-assessment model, 4-1
Summary
After months of budget discussions, the Brooksville City Council voted 4-1 to adopt a fire-assessment option intended to recover 100% of the city fire department’s modeled costs for FY2026. The move reduces the general-fund subsidy but raises property-owner assessments beginning next fiscal year.
The Brooksville City Council voted 4-1 to adopt a fire-assessment model designed to recover 100% of the city fire department’s calculated costs for FY2026, Interim Fire Chief Andrew Pepe told the council.
Council’s vote shifts more of the department’s costs onto the annual property assessment rather than the general fund. Chief Pepe and Stantec representatives presented four cost-recovery options and recommended the 100% option; council approved that recommendation by a 4-to-1 margin.
Why it matters: Council members said the change will reduce the general‑fund transfer to fire operations and help shore up the city budget without cutting service lines now. Chief Pepe said the assessment would appear on property tax bills beginning Oct. 1 and would still require a general‑fund transfer to cover the remainder of the FY2026 estimate.
Details from the presentation: Stantec’s model produced four options ranging from a low-recovery scenario to a full 100% cost recovery the chief recommended. The 100% option reduces the city’s general‑fund obligation compared with lower-recovery models but increases the fee households pay on the tax roll. Chief Pepe said the city would continue to coordinate with Hernando County on mutual-aid arrangements and that county fees currently projected for comparable service are higher than the city’s 100% assessment.
Council reaction and next steps: Several council members said they favored the 100% model because it keeps costs for Brooksville residents lower than the county’s current assessment would be if services were consolidated. One council member voted no but did not offer a roll-call attribution in the meeting record. The city manager said staff will incorporate the adopted assessment into the FY2026 budget documents and publish details for residents showing how the assessment will appear on tax bills.
Votes at a glance - Motion: Adopt the 100% cost-recovery fire assessment for FY2026 as recommended by Stantec and the city fire department. - Outcome: Approved, 4 in favor, 1 opposed. - Effective date: Assessment to appear on FY2026 tax rolls (expected Oct. 1).
