Hernando County commissioners authorize public hearing on proposed fire MSBU increases amid debate over station plans and costs

Hernando County commissioners voted April 22 to advertise a June public hearing on a proposed schedule of increases in the county—s fire Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU), a special assessment used to fund fire and emergency services.

Chief Paul Hassemeyer told the board the county needs additional stations, ambulances and staffing to maintain response times as population and 911 call volumes rise. "We're running out of ambulances and fire trucks on the East Side every afternoon and every evening," Hassemeyer said. He said consultants and staff had developed a five-year capital and staffing plan that includes new stations (15, 16 and later 17), additional ambulances, a training center and a consolidated headquarters.

The consultant—s model presented several scenarios. The version the board reviewed showed an average annual rate increase that would yield a maximum residential MSBU charge in the outer years significantly higher than today. Commissioners expressed alarm at the projected increases and asked staff and the consultant to produce an alternate scenario with lower year-by-year increases before the June public hearing.

Commissioner discussion focused on three recurring themes: whether development "pays for growth," how station construction costs were estimated and whether the county had alternative funding tools. Commissioner Champion pointed out that "when a new house is built, the fire MSBU fee comes in immediately" but said that recent MSBU increases already burden residents and questioned a projection that would nearly triple the per-household charge by 2030. Commissioner Lockhart and others repeatedly pressed for detailed line-item comparisons to other counties and contractors. Commissioner Alaco and Chief Hassemeyer emphasized that response-time problems on the east and central corridors are already apparent and that the county—s current fleet and station footprint are insufficient.

The scale and detail of debate increased around a planned new prototype fire station ("Station 15"). Eric Van de Bogard, the county construction coordinator, explained the county—s current approach: a construction-manager/general-contractor (CM/GC) delivery intended to improve quality and limit some risks but not necessarily to reduce the market cost. He said subcontractor bids and market conditions produced a guaranteed-maximum-price (GMP) substantially higher than earlier station replacements. "We're at $8.8 million and change," Van de Bogard said; commissioners called the per-square-foot cost high compared with other projects they had seen.

Several commissioners, led by Champion and Lockhart, pressed the administration to suspend action and bring back additional independent comparisons and alternate build options. After extended debate, the board did not adopt the rate package on the dais. Instead the board reached consensus to move forward with formal notice/advertising for a June public hearing while staff and the consultant prepare an updated report showing a lower alternative (commissioners asked staff to analyze a lower average increase scenario) and more line-item justification for station and build costs. Hassemeyer said some projects (like recruiting and pre‑staffing for new stations) are already planned in the current budget and that delaying construction would have cascading schedule and cost effects.

The board's decision to advertise a hearing does not set final rates. That vote will be separate after the public hearing and after the consultant supplies the revised analyses requested by the board.

Why it matters: The MSBU funds the county—s day-to-day fire and emergency medical services: personnel, engines, ambulances, training and stations. Commissioners repeatedly framed the vote as a balance between protecting public safety and limiting the immediate tax burden on homeowners and small landowners. Opponents of large increases warned that compounded increases will be politically and financially unsustainable for residents; supporters said the county must invest now to prevent worsening response times and higher long-term costs.

What comes next: Staff and the consultant will prepare an alternate scenario with lower year-by-year increases and additional documentation on station construction costs to present at the June public hearing. The board instructed staff to try to return a revised report in time to include the public notice and packet materials.

"We can do more value engineering," construction coordinator Eric Van de Bogard said, "but this is what the market today is telling us this project will cost." Commissioner Champion said he wanted the office to call other counties that built stations more cheaply and return with concrete comparisons.

Ending: The board voted to advertise a June public hearing on the MSBU changes while directing staff to deliver a revised, lower-cost scenario and more detail about the station bids and alternatives. The appropriate legal tests for an MSBU remain the two-part statutory test and the board will have to adopt rates that match the consultant—s supporting analysis to withstand possible legal challenges.