Pasco commissioners set TRIM ceilings, shift part of funding into fire/rescue MSTU

On July 7 the Pasco County Board set proposed millage rates that will appear on property tax notices (TRIM). Amy Farrell, budget director, reviewed assumptions and fiscal pressures including Medicaid rates, public‑safety staffing, and capital needs for new fire stations and parks. The board debated three options for restructuring millage to preserve general‑fund stability while ensuring dedicated funding for fire and rescue services.

Commissioner Waitemann proposed an incremental approach that shifts roughly half of the needed rescue funding into the fire/rescue MSTU now — a move the county attorney and budget staff said can be done with four votes under state rollback rules — and finish the transition in a later budget year. Supporters said the approach protects public‑safety funding and lays groundwork for a more transparent long‑term funding structure; critics cautioned about voter perception and the complexity of messaging.

After discussion the board approved “motion 3,” the hybrid option, by majority vote and set the first public hearing on the tentative TRIM and millage rates for Sept. 9, 2026 at 5:15 p.m. in Dade City. Under the chosen scenario, the total tax bill for an average property would be similar to the current projection, but a slightly larger share will be collected in the fire/rescue MSTU to fund staffing and rescue services. Staff said the final millages can be lowered at the September hearings but not increased above the TRIM ceilings set today.

What happens next: the county will publish TRIM notices with the board‑approved ceilings, hold the first public hearing in September, and finalize rates at the budget adoption hearing later in the fall after additional fiscal and public input.