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Hernando Today

Fire Ballot Wording Finalized

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: June 18, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - It took about six attempts, several rewrites and months of debate, but county commissioners Tuesday unanimously voted on language voters will see on the November ballot concerning independence for Spring Hill Fire Rescue.

Voters will be asked whether they want the Florida Legislature to enact a special act creating an independent fire control district for Spring Hill. They would vote "yes" for creation of the district and "no" against the creation.
County Administrator David Hamilton believes the wording is in the best interests of Spring Hill residents.

Not everyone agrees.

Spring Hill Fire Chairman Charles Raborn pushed for more clarification in the language to be sure voters realize that if they vote "no," they stand to lose the independent district they have enjoyed since 1972 and they will be incorporated into the county.

"They have to know what "no" means," Raborn said.

Spring Hill Fire attorney Andrew Salzman said taxpayers complained in the past that they didn't understand previous ballot referendums and wanted to remove the ambiguity from the current language.

As Spring Hill Fire Commissioner Leo Jacobs said: "This is a one-time vote. There is no going back."

But County Commissioner Diane Rowden said she didn't see how to craft the language any better for voters.

"I don't think it can get any simpler," she said.
Rowden said it was time to move on, get the referendum language formalized so independence supporters can go out in the community and educate people. If voters vote against the creation of the district, the existing five-person fire board would be dissolved and operation of the district would be turned over to county commissioners effective Dec. 1, 2008.

District employees would become county employees and budgets and tax rates would continue to be set exclusively by county commissioners. County Commissioner Rose Rocco said she believes the people of Spring Hill are intelligent enough to understand the ballot language.

"Nobody is trying to misrepresent anything," Commissioner Rose Rocco said. "And I think the longer we put this off, the worse it's going to be."

This will be the third time people of Spring Hill will be asked to vote on independence for their fire district.

The county asked them that question in the 1992 and 2002 elections and voters overwhelming rejected it.

If a majority of Spring Hill voters vote in favor of creating an independent fire district, the issue then moves to the state Legislature.

It is the Legislature that must approve a special act in order to create the district. If that entity passes the special act, the independent fire district will come into being.

But that doesn't end the process. There would be another referendum to approve any ad valorem millage levy. The outcome of the second referendum would not affect the existence of a newly created district - only the district's ability to levy property taxes.

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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