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Hernando Today

Church Takes Pass On Town Hall Meeting

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: September 26, 2008

SPRING HILL - Calling it an "informational meeting" wasn't enough to dissuade skeptical parishioners.

Those who attend St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church did not want their parish hall to be converted to a political forum Thursday night.

Last month, Spring Hill Fire Rescue scheduled a town hall meeting at the church. It was meant to be a question and answer session about the Nov. 4 referendum vote.

"They received an overwhelming amount of complaints about the political nature of the meeting," said Interim Chief Mike Rampino. "It's their church and I can fully understand that."

Spring Hill voters will decide on Election Day whether to have an independent fire district. If they vote no, the board of fire commissioners will be dissolved and the county will have full governing power over the department.

The issue has caused a firestorm.

Rampino was told from one of his district chiefs late Wednesday afternoon about the cancelation, he said. He told the fire board during a meeting later that night.

The board asked him to search for a "nonreligious venue" for the town hall meeting, which has yet to be rescheduled.

A second meeting for Oct. 6 is still expected to go forward. It will be held at St. Theresa Catholic Church on Commercial Way.

In other district news:

• The board on Wednesday voted 3 to 1 to approve the 2008-09 budget.

The dissenting vote came from fire commissioner Rob Giammarco.

"We really could have cut the budget," he said. "We could have cut the fat a little more. The memberships especially, we should have cut that."

Giammarco was referring to the paid memberships with the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

The total amount for dues and memberships for the upcoming fiscal year is $4,300, according to the budget.

Giammarco thinks only Rampino needs to be a member of the association and not all of the fire commissioners as well as a few district employees, he said.

The recommended budget for fiscal year 2008-2009 is $9,710,973 - down from $10,878,684, which is a difference of $1,167,711.

The new fiscal year will begin Oct. 1.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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