Good evening. We're going to call to order this special city council meeting. This is our final public budget hearing at this time.
If you're able, please rise for the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance led by the vice mayor.
Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you right now with hearts that are mourning the loss of patriots and local heroes and local children in our community.
Lord just please be close to us you say in Psalms you stay close to the broken
hearted Lord just please be with us right now and specifically be for this
meeting Lord just please help us honor you and everything we do please help us
to come together cordially and come with the best decision that honors you
and looks out for the city in its best interest or please be with those
overseas keeping us safe please be with our first responders Lord and just be
with everyone who works to keep this whole ship a sail and just thank you for
the volunteers you put in our lives in this community to help keep things afloat
Lord and have your grace and your son Jesus die on the cross for our sins or
we're so grateful for that thank you for that eternal hope and that and comfort
in that and Jesus name I pray amen
with liberty and justice for all.
At this time, we'll move into item C,
Approval and Modifications of the agenda.
Do I have a motion?
Move to approve the agenda.
I have a motion.
Do I have a second?
Second.
I have a motion and a second.
Any further discussion?
Hearing none, all in favor say aye.
Aye.
Any opposed?
Hearing none, the agenda is approved five to zero.
At this time, we'll move into item D,
which is the public hearing of the fiscal year 2026 budget,
The first item being the presentation of the budget for fiscal year 2026 starting October 1, the public announcement
Advalorum tax rate term notice Madam clerk
The proposed Advalorum rate for the fiscal year
2026 was advertised to be a maximum of 6.500 mils
This millage rate would be a 13.23 increase over the current year's rollback rate of 5.7407 mils
After reviewing revenue projections and proposed expenditure levels for the 2026 fiscal year,
the general fund budget is balanced at a tentative rate of 6.500 mils, which is 13.23 percent
more than the current year's rollback rate.
This millage rate would be a 13.23 percent increase over the current year's rollback
rate of 5.7407.
and this means a 6.500 mills is being levied
to fund the fiscal year 2026 budget.
Because the 2026 fiscal year budget has been balanced
utilizing the Advalorim tax millage of 6.500,
there is an increase in Advalorim tax revenue of 13.23%.
Thank you, Madam Clerk.
We will now move into item two,
consideration of the fiscal year 2026 budget
to review the budget in points of discussion.
Madam City Manager.
Thank you, Mayor.
The City Manager's Budget Memo of September 3rd remains the same.
The budget before you is balanced,
utilizing a tentative millage of 6.5.
This 6.5 millage allows for an estimated reserves of 2.6 million
and roughly 480,000 allocated to a CIP
while a 6.2 millage would allow for
estimated $2.4 million in reserves and roughly $290,000 towards CIP. To achieve this, we
implemented $1.5 million in budget cuts across all departments, increased the tentative
millage from $5.9 to $6.5, approved fire assessment estimated at $2.2 million, reduced the Sheriff's
Office contract for fiscal year 2526 by an estimated $299,000 as well as other operational
cost control measures. In addition, our finance director is here with us tonight if she has
any additional input.
Any discussions or questions from council regarding
the fiscal year 26 budget? I have a question made. Well, it's not really
a question. Okay, so this budget was based on 6.5 and last meeting we all unanimously
obviously agreed to a tentative 6.5, so this evening we're going to cast the vote on whether
or not we want to keep it 6.5. So do we have a budget based on a 6.2 in
the event that,
you know, because I did make a motion, but then I amended it for the tentative 6.5?
are you I mean I think I come out autumn answer that before I give I guess I mean
my quick answer would be yes it would just be the difference in what right the
IP dollars right would be correct is right it's my understanding so so the
balances just want to confirm the budget is balanced even at 6.2 it's just the
CIP is going to be less, correct?
Correct, and the reserves, yes, will be less.
But we also have a big decision to make this evening as well.
Correct.
What, when it comes to the budget,
I would actually like to make one change.
I would like to cut some more funding for some things.
So I'm going to make it quick.
In every wine item of the budget, there, and before I say this, this is, well, I'll just,
I'll just say what I have to say and then if anyone has questions, we can, we can get to that.
So in every subject category of our budget, there are wines for travel and per diem,
books, publications, and training and education.
I believe training and education of our staff
is important. I believe that we need certain books, publications, materials to run the
city. It is necessary for staff to travel and have per diems. However, when I examine
in the budget compared to where we were in the past three years, a lot of those line
items have increased in our budget, but the actual expenditures, when I'm looking at what
staff is actually spending year after year, never even touches close to what we are budgeting
for.
Therefore, I say that in terms of I don't think we need to budget what we're budgeting
for, if you add up all three of those items over the course of our budget, it's $128,000,
$128,000 and $438,000, so it's roughly $130,000.
So I would like to get a better handle on what departments need, what we need to send
staff to, what we don't need to send staff to.
And so I would like to move that Travel Per Diem books, publications, and training in education
actually all get moved under the tab in our budget that is general government.
At the very beginning of our budget, I believe it's tab nine.
In this book you have, there's a general government tab.
Under that tab, we could list these three items.
And some of them are actually already listed there anyways.
And we could set an exact amount for each of these three.
And then let the city manager work with our department heads over this next fiscal year.
There would be an approval process with the city manager for staff needing to access
these funds for certain things in these line items.
And I think that would give us a better overall picture moving forward of what we
need to be spending money on in these things. I know this might seem trivial or not important,
but I would argue that every dollar in municipality spends is important because it's a taxpayer
dollar, and I just feel that this is a way that I don't really believe we're taking
anything away from our staff. I believe we're just accurately shrinking these budgets
it's to kind of what we're already spending anyway.
So my proposal would be that if you look at travel per DM
right now, I would recommend we kind of cut all these
in half and see where we're at.
We are gonna have a CIP, we're gonna have excess funds.
Should there be something we get halfway through the year
and we need to allocate funding,
we likely will also have that flexibility.
So, like I said, I mean, to a degree, I do want to keep this short.
I would recommend that we set travel per geom.
If you add up all those costs right now, it's roughly $21,000.
I'd recommend we set it at 10, training and education.
And there's some important things in there right now.
Obviously, we have a big discussion tonight that affects two of these,
but we do have reimbursement in there for paramedic training
and certain fire training.
but we also have some dollars in there for CDL drivers which is essential to our public
works department and making sure that we can run as a city and folks can use our equipment
properly. So right now that training and education across the city is roughly $91,000.
I would recommend we put it at $55,000. And then the last one is the books and
publications, et cetera, right now. That's roughly at 15,000. I'd recommend we set that
at 7,000. So if someone else can do some quick – I mean, it saves roughly about $50,000
or so. And I think more importantly, continues to establish our budget in future years
and make accountable what we're truly spending dollars on.
So I've talked a lot.
I know that was maybe a little bit hard to follow.
Welcome your comments, feedback.
If that's not something you all want to do at this time, that's fine as well.
I'm not going to make a big fuss about it.
It was just a way where I saw we could save some.
Mayor.
I'm going to concur with you.
Okay.
And thank you for doing that because it came to my attention, you know, about travel.
And so I thought, you know what, we need to address that.
So, yeah, I concur with you.
Yeah, we have so much access to stuff at our fingertips nowadays with technology.
These are definitely outdated systems.
Like, yes, they're great for networking.
If you're going to go take a job somewhere else or something like that.
But there's plenty of information.
And we can get people here to come speak to the, without sending them on the road.
and just going around the country on the taxpayer's dollars.
I agree.
Great.
Any further discussion or we will open it to public input?
Are we ready for public input on the budget?
Okay, great.
Item three on this agenda is public input.
The public's opportunity to speak or ask questions
regarding the fiscal year 2026 Mollage Rate
and our proposed budget.
At this time, we'll open it up to public input.
Anyone wishing to speak?
We'll just start right here on my right-hand side.
Yes, sir.
Hello.
My name is Chris Kingsley.
Our state is operating at a surplus,
and yet you as leaders of a town of about 10,000
want to bleed your constituents.
Constituents who already are the most highly taxed people
in Hernando County.
If you live in the city, you pay the tax.
The most highly taxed.
Growth is supposed to pay for itself,
and I believe most of us believe there is growing,
even if it's just by default, it's growing.
Yet the majority of you council people want to have current residents pay for the growth.
That makes no sense.
We have done our part.
We've paid our taxes, supported efforts that have apparently failed by the council
to provide some sort of fiscal responsibility as flight.
13% increase.
I mean, I don't ever remember getting a pay raise of 13% in my lifetime,
whether when I was a union guy or not.
And you want to try to spend your way out of the business.
It's like the old saying, you're spending good money
to chase bad money, bad spending, bad decisions.
This growth that you seem to anticipate
and want to taxes for should pay for itself.
What about low income residents
for these taxes you're proposing?
They're gonna be hit the hardest
and possibly with the worst consequences.
You'll be making them decide between food,
medicine, taxes.
One of you is quoted as saying,
I just believe that we need to keep the rate
at 6.5 mils.
Well, I believe it should be four or less.
but that's not going to happen. I believe as a young blood song suggests everybody get
together and try to love one another right now, I don't think that's going to happen
either. A belief or a feeling in my heart is not the criteria you should be using to
decide how much tax you want to charge us. TAP is about 6.2, Clearwater is about 5.9,
and St. Pete is about 6.4, all less than 6.5, more to
You offer less growth and anticipated. Pinellas is built out. They offer everything a municipality
should offer, yet realize that you all, that property tax rates should decline, not be raised,
when housing and taxable values are soaring like ours are. Also, you should consider consolidating
the fire department with the county fire department and save not just hundreds of thousands but
millions. I know this is premature. You have taken two million out of the general
budget. And as far as I know, I'm not sure. That used to be used for the Fire Department
and transferred that particular cost to a fee. Did you reduce the general fund by 2 million?
Not that I'm aware of. You just found a new way to spend it, plus raise our taxes.
So that means our actual millage rate is actually higher than what you're trying
to tell us. Again, this tax hits the elderly and low-income people the worst. ALS calls
back to the fire department or the predominant calls for service by fire departments. The
county already provides that. It would provide personnel who if they were consolidated with
greater opportunities for advancement and responsibility wise as well as financially.
If I were a Brooksville firefighter I'd be sort of upset too that I have the same certifications,
do the same work, get paid less and have less opportunity. I believe the attrition
about 13 more seconds. I said that once before. We already pay for the county so
but why pay twice? Why pay more for less service? Personally, I want full service. It makes
no sense.
If you can't think of a better way of paying the bills and providing better service than
you currently are, i.e., you're raising the taxes by 13%, do something that's considered
by the Florida statute and consider the rollback rate. It's required that you consider.
It was mentioned early on, and I'm assuming, and I know what happens when you assume
crap is that that was your first step is throwing looking at the rollback right and saying well
this doesn't pay for the bills but I never heard that anybody did that before the effort
to bring it up to 6.5. Thank you for your time.
Anyone else on this side wishing to speak?
Seeing none, we'll move to this side.
Anyone wishing to speak on the left hand side of the room? Yes, sir.
Good
evening, Bob Morgan. I am an unincorporated Hernando County, full disclosure, not a Brooksville resident.
But it seems like I spend most of my weeks in town at different events or different businesses.
I have a couple of comments just to throw out. One was during the last budget meeting,
or maybe it was a prior one, there was discussion about sanitation department
and potentially looking at a Hernando County option
versus driving all the way out to Sumter County.
And I was just curious how that discussion,
if there was any final decision on that,
because I think that was saving potentially $50,000
if I remember right.
Also, I would be supportive of defunding
Brooksville Main Street.
That's a mature organization that has survived off of county dollars.
And I will have the same recommendation to the county.
And it's also survived off city dollars.
And as a mature organization, they should be able to work with local companies,
local supporters to self-fund themselves in that respect.
And I am a supporter of consolidation of the Bureau of Fire Department.
and financially it makes good sense from a opportunistic perspective I think the
firefighters while today it may look a little doom and gloom for them I think
they will have enhanced opportunities career opportunities enhanced training
specialties that they can take advantage of at that time when with the
county they all are been guaranteed jobs if I understand the chief
correctly from the county so hopefully if that is the direction that they all
land on their feet. Thank you. Thank you. Yes ma'am.
My name is Lee Johnson. I'm a
city resident. I own three properties in Brooksville and a business in
Brooksville, city of Brooksville. In regards to the millage rate you know I
did a little research over the decades what our millage rate had been and you
you know, back in 1979, our millage rate was over nine.
Then it was in the 80s, in the eights.
Politically, we did some rollbacks
when we got to like 2017, 2018 to like 5.9.
And we've been struggling since.
Now we look at other cities like Inverness and Dade City
and we say, wow, they've got so many things going on.
Well, their millage rates are seven, eight and nine.
And we're fighting, you know, we've been at 5.9 for years now, which is absurdly low.
And I'm not talking about something that doesn't impact me personally.
It personally impacts me.
But I also care about the city and the city doing well, and us being able to take care
of things like potholes.
In regard to that gentleman's comment about the fire department, you know, I live through
the defunding and consolidation of the police department with the sheriff's department.
And I'm not going to fault the sheriffs themselves because they're good fellows, but that has
been an abysmal failure in my eyes.
Our police department needed some work, and what we should have done was focused on doing
the work that it needed and bringing it in line so that we could control our police
department.
And back then, we had six to eight police officers patrolling at all times.
Now I think we have two sheriffs, and they try and tell us to feel good about the fact
that sheriffs come in and out as they're going other places.
Yeah, they come in and they go out.
They don't stop.
They come in and they go out.
And I'm not interested in doing the same thing with the fire department.
I think we need to learn how to fix our problems, stop, you know, pandering to
the public with these absurdly low millage rates to get elected and then turn around
and then blame everybody else for the things that are going wrong in the city that we can't
fix.
If we would just be realistic about what was going on, balance the budget.
The budget is balanced at 6.5.
I'm all for it.
Let's move ahead.
We probably needed to be 7.5, but 6.5 is certainly a good start.
Let's fix our Brooksville Fire Department.
And as for that other gentleman who is in a city residence comment about Brooksville Main Street,
what I will say about Brooksville Main Street as a volunteer board member who spends many, many, many hours every month volunteering for Brooksville Main Street,
the whole nature of Brooksville Main Street is not that it be independent.
It is a private, public partnership.
It is the city and the nonprofit working together.
That is how it's structured.
It isn't a scenario of, oh, it's grown up now and it shouldn't need anything.
The whole idea of the program, the Main Street program nationally,
is that it is a public-private partnership and it benefits the citizens.
You know, maybe we should start talking about what goes away if Brooksville Main Street goes away.
Maybe everybody should think about that for a second because I don't think they
realize what exactly Brooksville Main Street does. Thank you.
Yes ma'am.
Donna
Moran, city resident. About Brooksville Main Street, if I could get some
clarification maybe from Lee if we can get an honest answer and all about this.
Volunteers, I remember the past director stating that the Brooksville
Main Street gets funding of $25 an hour for every one of the volunteers when they have
a function. I remember her clearly saying that. And they get their money from, they
turn it in, their volunteer list every month, and then they get reimbursed from Tallahassee.
There was a lady that came here from Tallahassee, and she also said that they get $25 an hour
toward Brooksville Main Street, so maybe I can get some clarification, you know,
because that is, you know, money coming in as well for them and how do they spend it.
I'm just curious, it may not be happening anymore, but I just want some clarification,
that's all, because I, she came here, the lady from Tallahassee, and gave a
wonderful presentation for Main Street programs. It was fantastic, and maybe
they don't anymore, but if they do, I think people need to know. Thank you.
anyone else wishing to speak yes sir
Richard Ross I am a resident of Brooksville
two quick things one is people keep bringing up the police department that was
disbanded emerged into the county I would suspect if you go back look at what the
police department was costing I think it's 2018 when it was disband what it
cost the city to have that police department and then just stretch those numbers into today's
numbers our budget would probably be at a millage rate of around nine and a half to
ten to pay for that and the fire department has just flat said that they need two more
fire stations, more engines, more personnel to man those fire stations.
So their $2 million budget ain't going to stay $2 million.
It's going to grow and grow and grow.
And right now the county has two new fire stations on their CIP,
and they're $12 million each by the time you equip them and put people in them.
So, you know, got to spend $31,000 right now to fix a truck that was allowed to fall into
the ground, evidently.
While we spend $31,000 in a chunk when there's a gazillion things wrong with it, why weren't
things fixed when they went wrong to begin with?
When there would have been $50 or $100 or $200 and now we got to send it to a fire
truck specialist's place because not only is there mechanical problems, there's problems
with the fire equipment. That makes sense. So, that's it. I'm not going to run close
to the two minutes, but those are my comments. Thank you.
Thank you. Anyone else wishing to speak? Either side of the room?
Okay.
Dr. Coney, Executive Director for Brooksville Main Street. I guess I'm going to respond
back if that's okay, about the $25. In the past, I can't answer for what I have.
I do know that going through the books and the financials since I've been on board as executive director
We were never given $25 an hour per volunteer volunteers are volunteers. They are unpaid
As you all know several of you participated in beautify Brooksville on this path or a lot weekend before and our volunteers
They had over 60 volunteers. They were unpaid now. There are corporate programs
coals, Walmart, that they entice their volunteers, their staff to volunteer and they do donate
as the corporation, as Walmart Corporation on behalf of each hour of each volunteer.
Now if there was a state program giving each employee or each volunteer $25 an hour, we
did not receive that.
And I can tell you by going through the books from the last five years since Brooksville
Main Street became an independent entity of the Brookville Vision Foundation, that is
not true.
And again, I just will reiterate that we are a public-private partnership and that is
part of our Main Street accreditation and our Florida Main Street accreditation.
So I do thank you.
Anyone else wishing to speak?
Okay.
Seeing none, we will now move into item four, which is the consideration of Resolution 2523.
Madam Clerk.
Resolution 2523, a resolution of the City Council and the City of Brooksville, Florida, setting a
millage rate for the budget for the fiscal year 26 taxing year pursuant to section 200.065,
Florida statutes and providing an effective date.
Mayor, may I ask a question for clarification?
Sure.
We were speaking about the travel impredient and the three line items.
You weren't including enterprise funds, were you?
I do not believe so, no.
But if you have different numbers than I do, no.
I was only looking at the general fund.
Yes, ma'am.
Just wanted to clarify.
Yeah.
And those would only relate to the general fund.
Enterprise obviously is separate.
It is separate, but I wanted to make sure when you added up your numbers you didn't add up all departments
You only added up general. I only added a general fund. Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Yes. Thank you for that clarification as well
Okay counsel it is time for us to set our
Militrate
Can I
Can't read something first. Is that possible? Yeah, the four is
Thank you.
I put a lot of thought and energy into the numbers that we came up with for this
millage rate. And honestly, after hearing Mr. Kingsley speak,
You're right, 13.23%. But you've got to remember this. The city for the last four years has been
underpaying. They have been taking out of their reserves. That number should have been higher.
It never got bumped back up after I think it was the 2018-2019 year. So, therefore,
the city's been running at not a deficit, but it's been pulling out of reserves to balance
that budget. So what seems like an enormous jump is not. It's previous councils were not
doing, I believe, their due diligence in balancing the budget year to year. If I came up with
a number, I would wait till the next year and go, okay, well, that didn't work out
real well for us. We had to take out of reserves. Let's bump it back up a little
a little bit.
Doesn't have to go all the way back, and let's see where that number rides out at.
But it didn't happen, and it continued on to the point where we are at right now.
And you're right, I don't know who it was, it was Lee.
Other cities have been running at seven and a half or higher, and it was commented
just last meeting that the reason they are is they have, they have done it properly
over the years at a slow process.
We have, and it sounds like I'm just a layman, my first term on this board, but I've dealt
with numbers all my life.
And I can tell you this, you're not going to, our reserve fund is at $2.5 million, which
sounds like an enormous amount of money.
It's not for a city.
The city of Inverness has $30 million in their reserve fund.
They didn't get it overnight, but they surely have been working on it year after year.
And that is why their situation is a lot different than ours.
And responding to the, again, the 13.23, if they had been charging the correct amount
of money for the fire assessment fees for the last four years, which they hadn't been.
They were at almost 50% of what they should have been charging.
Take that money over four years and we wouldn't even be talking about our fire department
right now.
But that's in the past and there's nothing I can do to change it.
But moving forward, I sat down today and I wrote this and I apologize.
as I usually like to speak eye to eye, but I didn't want to leave anything out, so please
forgive me for that. The City Council is committed to ensuring the long-term financial stability
and sustainability of our community. After careful review of the city's financial position,
we're proposing an adjustment to the millage rate from 5.9 to 6.5. This increase is necessary
for two critical reasons. One, rebuilding our reserves. In recent years, the city has had to draw
from its reserves multiple times in order to balance the budget. This was due in part to
decisions by past councils that did not adequately prepare for long-term financial challenges,
as well as a false sense of security created by the temporary COVID-19 relief funds.
funds. And personally, I think that's where most of all of this started. While those funds
provided short-term relief, they did not address the city's underlying financial needs to protect
against future economic downturns or unexpected costs. It is essential that we restore our
reserves to a healthy and responsible level. And number two, something this city does
not have at this time, and when I got on this board I was appalled, we do not have a capital
improvement fund. I have never in my life seen a city that did not have that. We have zero
in the bank for capital improvement funds. You cannot operate like that.
It's because we had $800,000 a year from ARPA funds. That goes to my point.
We did what we had to do at the time, we can correct it now, but don't act like we were
just being frivolous.
First off, Thomas, I'm speaking, okay?
And second of all, I address that, that I do believe it was short-term relief funds
right there, okay?
Now if I can finish, our city's infrastructure, roads, facilities, utilities, our essential
services requiring ongoing investment. Without a structured and adequately funded
capital improvement plan, the city risks falling behind on critical projects that
affect the quality of life, public safety and economic growth. By modestly increasing
the millage rate, we can establish a dedicated and sustainable path forward to invest in
these necessary improvements. We recognize that any increase in taxes must be carefully
considered and this decision has not been taken lightly. However, if Brooksville is to
learn from its past and properly plan for the future, we must take steps today to protect
our financial health and avoid future depletion of our reserves and ensure that the city
is positioned to meet the needs of both the current and future residents.
And let me just finish with this. It's easy to give you guys the popular and possibly
lead the politically correct answer that you want to hear, that I want to lower taxes.
And I'd love to stand up here and tell you, Chris, that we want to lower it to 4 percent.
But it can't happen.
You've got to run a city as a business, and this is the way it has to be.
We have to make hard choices, and that hard choice is doing the right thing for this
city, and nothing less than I believe 6.5 is going to reach that goal.
Not to say that it has to stay there forever, but it has to be a starting point to be reevaluated year-to-year. Thank you.
Any further?
Oh, I'm going to. I got something to say as well, but I didn't prepare a speech.
First of all, I want to address everyone that spoke. Thank you, Chris, for coming up to the podium speaking. I agree with you.
Lee? No, I don't support the fire department. And as far as the police
department, we had to do what we had to do back then, because Richard is correct.
If the police department still existed, we'd be looking at a five, six million
dollar fire, or police department, which we can't afford. Now we're looking
at a three million dollar fire department. We cannot afford. So we're
looking at the same thing we were looking at in 2018. So the city
saved money. And as far as the past counsel, I was part of that past counsel. I was proud
of what I accomplished on that counsel. We had tough decisions to make. But let me remind
you, when it came to fire fees, the same gentleman that comes before us and gave us
the presentation of the fire fees was the same gentleman that was coming in the past
making recommendations. And what does the counsel usually do? We listen to staff,
We listen to recommendations and what do we do? We do what the staff recommends and that's what this council
I'm speaking. Let me please finish. I didn't
Okay, so
As far as mr. Morgan, I wholeheartedly agree with what he said, you know what?
We have been funding Brooksville Main Street since 2016 and they have received a lot of money over the years
They get grants they get sponsors
They get volunteers and all the events they put on the city put on and we've did great events way back then and we can go back to that
But I feel like you know what more cuts need to be made
More I mean we need to revisit the organizational chart and we are top management heavy than we ever been
If you look at 2022 and compare it to the current budget a lot of spending going on
So, there needs to be more cuts, I don't think we did enough cuts.
I also agree, like I said with Mr. Morgan, we need to defund Brooksville Main Street,
which we had no discussion over.
And I do believe tough times, 6.2, is fair.
We can look at all the other cities and what they're doing, that's great.
But this is Brooksville.
We need to focus on what's for our residents that are struggling.
And if you think it's bad now, the governor is looking at eliminating property taxes.
How do you think we're going to manage without property taxes?
So there are a lot of things that the state's working on that's going to affect our city
as well.
So I'm looking at today, the present moment, 6.2 is realistic, especially when we have
to make a big decision this evening.
I just feel like we need more cuts, and I don't feel there has been enough cuts.
So that's just where I support 6.2.
So if I may add my input into this, I think I made it pretty apparent in the last meeting
after looking at the numbers of surrounding cities.
That is what people, again, compare us to.
They compare Brooksville to the surrounding cities.
And I'll first start off with what the gentleman said about 13% increase into that.
If I was at my employer and for the last four years I got no increase to my pay for the
last four years, I would be pretty upset.
You know, there are things that, yes, you can put it in terms of if my employer were
to raise that or if there was an issue about that 13%, all of a sudden, it's not all
of a sudden we've been looking at this over the last four years. And again, we had the
ARPA funds. We had the funds to be able to invest into capital improvement through those
funds. But those funds are no longer here for us. We no longer have the ability to
access funds like that. We have to set ourselves down the right direction for the future.
And not just looking at today. Yes, today we are making a big decision. Yes, today
day is a hard thing that we have to look at. But at the same time, we need to be looking
at the future as to not setting up future councils for the same issue that we're running into
right now. The same issue is going to happen in five years from now if we keep being behind
the ball on making decisions, if we keep letting other people make decisions for us,
if we keep letting other people come in and bail us out of previous decisions that were
made because that's what's happening. We're now in dire straits and we're thinking about
getting rid of one of the most crucial pieces to a municipality, which is your fire department.
We're thinking about getting rid of that because we've already had to be in the situation
where we've had to get rid of our police department. And yes, every year, yes, the budget might
go up for the fire department, but so does the budget in general. Our budget in general
goes up just because of cost of everything going up. It's not just an isolated incident.
And at Brooksville is not an isolated situation.
We are not an entity that is having these struggles.
There are other municipalities, other cities,
and I'm sure even other counties around the U.S.
that are having these issues where, yes, there were good times,
things were coming in, things were happening,
but they weren't looking at what happens in the future.
And that is what I think we really need to be doing.
And I understand.
And again, we sit up here,
and as Council Member Halau mentioned,
I'm in my first year.
I'm, what, seven, eight months into sitting up on this council, and boy, what a hard decision
that it's had to be for me, looking every day at what's going on and what's happening,
seeing what people are posting about, and I think it's become absolutely crazy that
there's been all of this infighting that it doesn't need to happen where if we
can actually make a decision as a city instead of letting other people make decisions
for us because that's what's happening right now. We look at this and we're like, oh, we're
in such a dire strait with our fire department. We look at the fire department and we say,
well, why don't we just cut the fire department to save us some cash? That's a crucial, crucial
important piece of what the city represents is our fire department and having control
over what happens with that. So at the end of the day, if we get rid of our fire
department, we're getting rid of a very crucial part that our city functions with
just because of dollars at the end of the day where we have now balanced our budget.
We are now adding to it with either the 6.2 or the 6.5.
But it's going to happen in next year's budget where we're going to say, okay, things
have increased.
Now, not just the ladder truck has gone out to where we have to buy it.
We can't plan for what the future is going to look like if we're not making decisions.
And sometimes there are aggressive decisions.
And I hate to be the guy that sits up here and say, we need to make an aggressive
of decision to raising it to 6.5%. But honestly, at the end of the day, we should have been
raising it a point. Even just a point every single year to keep up with rising costs of
not only crucial infrastructure like asphalt costs or repaving a road. I don't know the
number off the top of my head, but I'm guessing if you looked at what it cost to repave
a road in 2019 compared to 2025, it's a pretty significant increase in that cost.
So if we're not moving with that cost, then we're just going to, at the end of the day,
we're just going to end up bankrupting the city and then we're going to have to get rid
of everything at the end of the day.
So in my opinion, I think having it at the 6.5% is very crucial for the city's future
health.
I don't want to stifle conversation here, but I just want to clarify, and I don't,
no one has made a motion at this point.
I don't want to if you were about to say something by all means vice mayor. I will you know, I'll give you
the opportunity but
We have a whole nother meeting after this so I'll just I
I get it and
In the past we're we're operating with an extra eight hundred thousand dollars a year and should we have read?
We're trying to raise the millage and say some of that. Maybe, maybe not, but we're trying
to do right by the people. We're telling our citizens to figure it out with inflation, but
we're not telling our city council to figure it out. That's what we were doing. We were
figuring it out. Now that those funds are gone, I do agree we need to raise this millage
up to get an extra $700,000 because last year, Richard, we could say we have $700,000
in ARPA dollars. Use that for roads and infrastructure. And we don't have that anymore.
So I think with either one of these millage rates, whatever we come up to, having that
money for capital improvement will just get us to where we were with those ARPA dollars.
And I'm not saying we need to, I'm not necessarily for $30 million in reserves, that's kind of
a crime in my opinion, but I mean, I'm also having to take that for a rainy day.
And we're a business, but we're not a business here to make a profit, we're a business
is here to figure it out and sacrifice for the sake of the taxpayers.
So that's kind of where my mind's at with things.
If 6-5 is what the majority of the council is wanting, but we dang sure about figuring
out a way to lower it in the future and a way to create revenue through the city,
because we can't go up to 6-5 and expect the taxpayers to just be okay with that
without us working hard, working extra hard
to make sure that we can lower it in the future
or at least keep the same,
so we don't have to go up 0.1 every year.
I mean, that's a cheap way out,
just raising the millage rate every time we need more money.
We gotta get creative.
And we got some plans, once we get through this,
we'll figure it out.
Okay.
Well, seems like everyone has said their piece,
So, I might as well join the, the last meeting I, what's before us is the millage.
At 5.9, at keeping the millage rate at 5.9, that puts our reserves at exactly where they
need to be to meet the state standard.
It gives us approximately only $15,000 to put towards anything else that is not
already outlined in our budget.
That's called a capital improvement plan.
So at 6.5, we could put more money in our reserves.
Right now, it's around where we would have 2.6 million versus almost a 2.2 at a 5.9.
And it would roughly give us $480,000 in capital improvement plans to invest into
things, believe it or not, that the city does need.
because this budget, unfortunately, at what it is doesn't cover it.
Sure, that's a sad statement. I think we could all agree things cost money.
If the last budget workshop are first, we always have two of these.
State mandated, that's how every municipality works.
I tasked council with figuring out what they thought the city needed in our CIPs.
What do you think we need to spend money on?
What do we need?
What are you hearing from Department Heads
or the city manager who you're talking to?
I took it upon myself to ask the city manager
to call a meeting with every single department head
here at the city.
That meeting took place last week.
I was here for two and a half hours meeting
with the department heads and the city managers
for them to tell me, folks,
books. I don't have time to sit here every day. That's not the role of this government.
Just, you know, we rely on our staff. That is how this city is chartered. That is, but
so I rely on our department heads. I rely on our city manager. And we have some really
good people in place for the first time in a long time. And I'm very proud of that.
And that's a testament to this Council sitting up here. And I applaud this Council
for that. But I had that meeting and that meeting ended up with a sheet, multiple sheets
like this of every department. Some of these things you could say certainly are wants.
Some of these are absolute needs in the future, absolute. Things like if we choose to keep
the fire department, we absolutely have to invest there. Everyone knows that I am
I'm not saying anything new.
Things in DPW, we have to invest there.
Cleaning of certain drain fields in our city
and of those degrees.
I mean, those things are things we need to identify.
Making sure our parks are safe for kids,
continuing to invest in our parks.
If you look at this, I mean,
we are looking at millions of dollars in the future
that is not funded.
Now every city, most cities have one of these.
We haven't had one in a while.
Apparently, we had one years ago, we're bringing it back.
I don't really care about what happened back then.
That's a real negative place to get into.
I've sat on this council for two years,
and I am not a perfect person.
I am sure.
I always ask God to bring me the wisdom
and to bring me the courage to make the right decisions.
But, look, sometimes that doesn't happen, you know, we're not perfect people.
And so with that, we have to invest in our city.
I don't think, from what I'm hearing, that's necessarily the argument that's taking place
here.
I think that everybody believes at a certain point we have to make an investment because
nobody is saying that we need to keep the mill enjoyed at what it's at.
but I think the question is, is where do we put it?
And based on what I see here,
I unfortunately think that the millage has to be 6.5.
But...
Mayor, I'm going to make a motion to levy the general fund
ad valorem millage rate of 6.5%.
I have a motion. Do I have a second?
Second.
I have a motion and a second. Any further discussion?
Any public input?
Any public input on this motion? Yes, sir.
My name is Chris Kingsley, and I was listening to the discussions, and it started to surprise
me at some of the things that were said. Brooksville is not some other city. It is
Brooksville. People don't expect us to run a city like Inverness or Dade City or something
like that. And everybody seems to be intent on saying, well, we figure it out how much
money we can spend at 16.5, and dang it, we're going to spend it, or 6.5. I'm sorry, 16 would
be, but so instead, I didn't hear anything about other than Krista, Mrs. Tanner, Mayor
or whatever, was talking about the travel, which is kind of refreshing to hear, but
But at the same time, it's like, well, and Mr. Halal talked about people in the past.
So what I said earlier, you're throwing good money after bad instead of just throwing money
at everything and saying, it's okay, our stuff goes up in value.
So just because you want to raise our millage rate, as each year's go, the value of my
house goes up and whatever the rate is goes up. I pay more every year without having my
millage rate increased. That money comes here. It would be in my opinion responsible to figure
out what that is and then spend it instead of saying, well, let's make it as high as
we can to make it for bad things in the past if there were bad things in the past
and figure out how to spend it. I don't think that's your job to figure out how
How to spend is how not to spend and as Mr. Bronson said also you're not a bank, you're
not here to see how much money you can put in your savings account, you're here to have
and I think Mrs. Tanner said it correctly when she said what the state requires is what
probably is the right amount to have in reserve.
So I mean you had a good discussion but I think most people who are having to pay
the taxes would disagree with it.
any further public input on this motion okay
we will bring it back to council
real
call customer hallow hi customer mckayton hi customer erhard nay
vice mayor bronson no mayor tanner I oh
it does not pass past it's it's 3 2
you
tell me what I rely on legal counsel for autumn
do we need a supermajority or do
we need a majority do we need four or three we just need a majority vote isn't
three to two majority three two is a majority but you're saying we need a
supermajority I'd have to go get my trim information to see I'm not I don't
think it says supermajority but I can have to go get it to find out and
you
you want to go on to the next item and then circle back or?
Yes, is that?
Becky's OK with that.
Can I ask what the question is?
I'm not like, we didn't hear you down there.
So she's, do we need a majority or a supermajority?
A supermajority would be one, would be four or five.
The majority is three, two,
based on a five.
And should it be the supermajority then?
Then it would take six.
I mean it would take, I'm sorry.
it would take four out of the five correct but I'm saying okay so say we
don't get the four out of the five then what's the next step here the next
sales that would be another motion as a council we still would not have a set
millage yeah the millage is set right now or it's not set is what you're
saying yes we just need to figure out if we need we need to set it tonight
right and I mean so good I I believe if it goes over the rollback but be under a
hundred ten percent it's the rollback plus the percentage from the state and
she would have that and that sets a level at which you need to have for and then
if you're a hundred and ten percent over that which I know we're not then you
need to have it be unanimous.
OK.
Look, we've got a lot to cover tonight.
Well, hold on.
We do.
But we have to set this tonight legally.
So I'm trying to help with that.
So I'll change my opinion.
If we are going to work hard to lower it next year,
we need to get through this.
Hold on.
We are out of order here.
Hold on.
Vice Mayor, I appreciate you.
I hear you.
Thank you for that.
One second.
What?
This says majority vote of governing body.
majority vote of governing body so
we're good so it is it is I know it's
under the hundred and ten percent maximum
military is equal to the majority
vote maximum rate what it says right
what is the majority vote maximum what
is that percent
okay we're gonna we're gonna take a five minute recess and
and let staff and legal counsel figure this out
and we will come back.
Good evening.
We're going to re-adjourn our special meeting
which is the final public budget hearing.
I know some people came in from outside
just so you're aware we are still in our special meeting.
We do have a scheduled city council meeting
after this that will start promptly
when we have wrapped up this meeting
but there was a question about the vote needed in terms of a majority or a supermajority
to set the millage rate, depending on what it's set at.
And I'm going to turn over to the attorney to give counsel her legal opinion on how we
should move forward.
Okay.
All right.
Well, when I spoke with Autumn, who is a very good finance administrator, we had
a little bit of a difference of opinion.
It would be much safer to take another vote on this, and I suggest that we have a vote
to see if there are four out of the five, which would be the safest thing to do.
Okay.
So in terms of Robert's rule of orders, then aren't we saying that the first vote
does not set the millage rate?
Someone who is on the essentially walk us through how we do this properly.
Someone who voted in favor of.
This would need to ask for a re-vote and then there would be a second and to withdraw that
that vote. So it would have to be someone who voted in favor of it to do that.
So I'll request a re-vote on my previous motion.
Okay. Is there a second for that?
Second.
Okay. I have a motion and a second for a re-vote.
public comment again?
Sure.
A brother.
Public comment.
Okay.
On a mourn city, uh, city resident, you all took a vote.
It's 3-2.
That passes it.
I've been coming to these meetings for 15 years.
I'm either watching them for the last three years,
and now I'm here back here because I'm healthy.
So you all voted 3-2 for no 6.5.
That's a majority of vote. That's how you vote.
Now you're going to take another vote,
and you're hoping somebody's going to change their mind to vote for 6.5,
and that's not okay. We've never had a super vote.
I mean, that's everybody has to vote the same way,
and that's not going to happen.
So to take another vote, this is not okay.
You're cheating the taxpayers out.
You vote. It failed. 3-2. Thank you, too. Mr. Bronson, thank you. Thank you. It's wonderful.
And Ms. Krista, wonderful. Ms. Erhardt, wonderful.
It was three in favor and two against.
Of the 6-5?
Yes.
Oh.
It was three in favor. It was three in favor and two against.
So three were in favor because I didn't hear Krista vote.
So it passed a 6.5.
So then why are we taking another vote?
Because it is honestly belt and suspenders.
We just want to make sure that there is not a trim issue.
Well, we've never had a super vote before ever.
We've never had that.
And I don't understand why we need to do another vote.
If it passed 6.5, then that's it, it passed.
Just saying, it's really weird how this meeting is being
run, because it's not fair. Because now you're going to take another vote, hoping somebody
changes their vote. Well, they voted the way they voted. They don't take another vote.
Well, they changed their mind and it's hung up again. The past, the past. Yay. I've just
never seen this before, ever. You all voted. And a super vote, never heard of it. So
thank you.
Thank you.
I'm not too prideful to change my opinion and not agree with what the consensus is.
Obviously 3-2, it's going to pass.
I'm going to make sure we cross our T's and dot our I's right now.
I want to, I just want to make sure that we work hard to lower it in the future.
Okay.
We're in the middle of public input, Mr. Morgan.
Bob Morgan.
Again, I don't think the question of a re-vote is necessary.
It's a matter of what statute and the city ordinances and regulations state.
And honestly, our attorney should know that, and it shouldn't be forced to a new vote.
I honestly think it's an invalid vote to do it again a second time.
And by the way, 6.5 divided by 5.9 is 1.1016 percent, so it exceeds 110 percent.
Thank you.
I probably should address that.
The 110 percent relates to the rollback rate raised by the CPI, which is determined by the state.
You add those two together and then in order to require a
unanimous vote it has to be a hundred and ten percent over that and I know that that's not the case
Any further public input?
seeing none
We have a motion in a second for a revoked
Madame clerk
customer mckayton hi, that's my hello. Hi customer erhard
Vice Mayor Bronson.
Aye.
Mayor Tanner.
Aye.
The millage is adopted at 6.5.
No, no, we need to have a motion for a, a re-vote.
Oh, there has been a motion for a re-vote.
We need to take the vote.
Correct.
Okay.
So somebody else needs to make a motion for 6.5.
We need a second.
What in the motion?
And then we take, we take a vote.
Okay.
Okay, I take back what I said. It has not been said. I have a motion that we up the
village rate to 6.5. Second. I have a motion and a second.
Any further discussion from
this council?
Any public input on this motion? I think don't I have to call for public input
every time I don't want to legally be told I didn't call for it they can they
can under the statute it says that at some point in the process the public
opinion okay great I'm rescinding public input madam clerk
Council Member Earhart.
Nay.
Council Member Hallow.
Aye.
Council Member McKeithen.
Aye.
Council Member Bronson.
Aye.
Mayor Tanner.
Aye.
The millage is set.
Correct.
Okay.
We will now move into Item 5.
Consideration of Second and Final Reading of the Budget.
Ordinance number 1003.
Madam Clerk.
Ordinance 1003.
Inordinance appropriating certain monies for the general operations of the City of
period beginning October 1st, 2025 and ending September 30th, 2026. This was advertised in
the Hernandez Sun and the Tampa Bay Times.
Thank you, Madam Court.
I have a motion from
council. So if we approve this, would we have to make a motion with your added suggestion
if we agreed with your added suggestion? Yes, she would. Okay. Then I make a motion
to approve the budget with the added adjustments to bringing the travel and
per diem to 10,000, the training and education to 55,000, and the books and
publication etc. to 7,000 and move that into the general but or the general
government part of the budget. I have a motion. Do I have a second?
I have a motion and a second any further discussion from Council any public input
Seeing none
Madam clerk roll call vote
Councilor McKee-thin I that's my air hard
nay
customer. Hello
Hi, that's my Bronson mayor Tanner
The budget is adopted
At this time we are going to adjourn as the City Council and convene as the CRA.
This is called to order to the CRA.
Approval modification of the agenda.
Motion to approve.
Second.
Motion passes.
No, you have to say on favor.
On favor.
Aye.
Item C, CRA agendas.
of one approval of February 3rd, 2025 CRA meeting minutes.
Move to approve.
Second.
All in favor?
Aye.
C2, CRA budget resolution number 2025-01
for CRA established in 1999 presented by the clerk.
I'll go ahead and read it by head note.
Resolution 2025-01, a resolution adopting
the annual budget for the City of Brooksville
Community Redevelopment Agency
for fiscal year 2025 beginning October 1st 2025 and ending September 30th 2026
for the original CRA area providing for severability and providing an effective
date.
Do we have a motion or
do I need public comment on this or can we just get
a motion to approve and then you'll need public second motion second all
All in favor?
Aye.
All right.
Public input.
Oh, public input.
Sorry about that, guys.
Public input.
Anyone on my right?
Anyone on my left?
Good.
It's a roll call vote.
Roll call vote.
Thank you.
All right.
So your voting is Board Members.
Board Member Earhart?
Aye.
McKethan?
Aye.
Hallell?
Aye.
Tanner?
Aye.
Chair Bronson?
Aye.
Motion passes.
C3, CRA Budget Resolution 2025-02 for Sierra Expanded
boundaries established in 2023. Presentation. I'll go ahead and read it by head in the twenty
five oh two resolution adopting the annual budget for the city of Brooksville Community
Redevelopment Agency for fiscal year twenty twenty five beginning for beginning October
first twenty twenty five and ending September thirtieth twenty twenty six for the expanded
Sierra area providing for severability and providing an effective date to approve
second all in favor public input oh public input sorry seeing none roll call
the so you're putting it again as board members board member McKeith and I
you're hard I howl I Tanner and Bronson I
motion passes citizens input limited to
three minutes per speaker seeing
none response by city manager staff and
CRA members seeing
none items by attorney nothing thank you items by the
city manager nothing thank you
we already said items by CRA board members
but it's there in age items by the CRA board members again motion adjourn all
in favor okay
we're now reconvening as the city council we are still in our
special budget hearing we're now moving into citizens input of that special
budget hearing anyone on my right hand side wishing to speak
Seeing none anyone on my left hand side wishing to speak
Seeing none response by city manager staffer council
Hearing none items by city attorney
Items by city manager
Items by council we
are going to adjourn our special meeting at
730 we will reconvene for our regular scheduled city council meeting
Thank you.