The Brooksville City Council met on July 29 for a special meeting to handle the budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025 and determine the tentative millage rate. Ultimately, the council voted 3-1 to maintain the current rate of 5.9.
“I don’t know that the city can stay at 5.9 forever. I don’t know if that’s feasible, especially if our country continues on the economic track it is,” Vice Mayor Christa Tanner said. “But I also have great pause of raising the millage rate when our citizens of our city are facing such economic hardships as everybody is due to our national economy.”
Revenues for the city increased by nearly $1 million in the past year, to $9,822,374 from $8,858,427 in the 2024 budget. Likewise, expenses increased slightly from $11,617,939 to $11,907,188. With carryover revenue from the previous year there will be $1,659,878 to place in reserves.
Chinsegut Hill was a main discussion point by Councilman David Bailey, who questioned its profitability and went as far as to suggest the city sever its ties with the property and return its management to the county. The budgeted expenses for Chinsegut Hill stand at $92,108, down from $162,330.
“I am fully confident moving forward and moving into next year with the management team that we have that we will hit that $80,000 mark or break even at $93,000 if not exceed that,” Terri Moore, Brooksville’s parks and recreation director, said. “I think Chinsegut Hill is an asset not only to Hernando County but the City of Brooksville. As a parks and recreation professional, it offers things most counties and cities don’t have. I see it as an asset and I’m committed to reaching that goal.”
“I think with Terri leading the parks and rec and Christie (Williams, retreat manager) with Chinsegut Hill I think we’re just getting started on creating revenue from the parks and Chinsegut Hill,” Councilman Thomas Bronson said. “It wasn’t as much a priority before; it was more just an asset that when you pay taxes that’s what comes with it. But we’re in trying times where the cost of everything has gone through the roof. So now that’s going to help keep taxes low for our taxpayers.”
Bailey also questioned whether the budget could handle raises for various directors. “In terms of what other cities pay their executive staff, we are not very high whatsoever,” Tanner said. “I just want to make that very, very clear. You have to pay a price for high-quality staff.
“… I do feel a little bit, David, like you’re attacking staff a little bit here throughout this whole conversation. I think for the first time in many years, we have symmetry at the city when it comes to staff and leadership.”
“I’m not attacking anybody. I figured that was what was going to be said and happen,” Bailey said. “But I’m looking at numbers and the numbers from 2023 to 2025 have gone up significantly, 18 percent.”
In the final tally, Bronson, Tanner and Mayor Blake Bell were in favor, while Bailey voted against. The council is down a member after Casey Thieryung’s resignation left Seat 4 vacant.
Additionally, there will be a 13.65 percent increase in funding to $7,150,871 for the wastewater collection system and treatment, covering new personnel and necessary equipment. There’s a $16.18 percent increase to $2,387,732 for sanitation costs, and a 72.57 percent increase to $365,827 for maintenance of the fleet of city vehicles.
