Brooksville council advances ordinance to terminate firefighters’ retirement trust after months of debate

The Brooksville City Council on Jan. 5 adopted on first reading Ordinance 1010, initiating termination of the City of Brooksville Firefighters Retirement Trust after the city consolidated fire services with Hernando County Fire Rescue.

City Manager said the ordinance implements council’s prior direction to terminate the trust, protects accrued and vested benefits and authorizes the pension board and city staff to complete required state filings. He said the termination follows a consolidation effective Oct. 1, 2025, and that the city and pension counsel drafted the ordinance together.

The meeting drew extensive public comment from current and former firefighters and retirees. “There are still many misconceptions and misinformation about the pension fund,” said Joe Pecora, who served as chairman of the Firefighters Pension Board. Pecora urged the actuary to meet individually with firefighters “to explain to each of them how this movement will affect their future retirement.”

James Atkins, who said he spent 25 years in the fire service including 13 as a chief, told council he feared retirees’ benefits could be reduced by the termination and urged the city to ensure promised retirements remain secure. Pension administrator Susan McCreary said the pension board and actuary are working on the calculations and that members will have two statutory distribution options under Florida law — lump-sum distributions or annuities — and that the process will take months. “It’s not gonna be now,” she said, and advised members to consult the plan actuary or a financial planner for personal guidance.

Council members pressed for clarity about funding. One council member summarized prior estimates, saying a full buyout to make the plan 100% funded would require about $3.7 million; council discussion included the longer-term cost to the city if the plan remained open. The city manager noted that some pension investments are in real estate and not immediately liquid, which could require interim borrowing in order to complete payouts. He described the decision before council as a narrow one: terminate the plan and make required distributions, or continue plan payments.

Council members emphasized the emotional difficulty of the decision while framing it as a fiscal responsibility to current and future residents. A motion to proceed with termination passed on first reading 4–0; the ordinance requires a second reading (scheduled for Jan. 26) before it becomes final. The city noted the termination decision triggers a multi‑month administrative process led by the pension board and the plan actuary, who will produce member‑specific payout figures and the options available to each retiree.

What happens next: The pension board must work with the plan actuary to calculate individual payouts and present distribution options (lump sum versus annuity). The city’s second reading and final vote on the ordinance is set for Jan. 26. Retirees and vested members were advised to contact the pension administrator or the actuary with questions; the council and staff said they will not be able to provide individualized actuarial calculations themselves.

Ending: Council members closed the discussion by reiterating appreciation for firefighters’ service and acknowledging the complexity of the financial and human issues at stake. The ordinance is not final until the second reading and any statutory requirements have been met.