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Hernando Today

Passing the gavel

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Hernando Today

Published: October 29, 2009

Passing the gavel is not good enough. At the Oct. 14 meeting of the Spring Hill Fire Rescue District, Chairman Leo Jacobs tried a dismal effort to pass the gavel to other members of the commission. First passing over Commissioner Amy Brosnan and offering the gavel to Commissioner Robert Giammarco, who promptly refused. Then offering the gavel to Commissioner John Pasquale who also refused the chair for the night. He did not offer the gavel to longtime Commissioner Gene Panozzo. He finally asked Commissioner Brosnan to chair the meeting.

This was a good move; she has been assisting him all year.

He did state that he was having physical difficulties and he was seeing neurological doctors and other doctors. He also stated that he has many doctors working on him, he is happy to be keeping people employed. In the past, he has passed the gavel because of eye problems, yet he did drive to and from the meeting. If his health issues are a problem, he could show self-respect and respect to the public by acknowledging he can no longer do the job and resign.

A year has gone by and the Spring Hill Fire Rescue District Commission has done nothing but make a failed attempt to raise taxes on businesses within the district. At a recent county commission budget meeting, Hernando County Fire Chief Mike Nickerson advised the board that one of the reasons creating the SHFD was to stop the tangible tax. If that is the case, and point of the district, we will have other questions to ask.

The main question: Do the taxpayers of Spring Hill Fire District want the district to collect their tax? This question will be asked in August 2010.

The other question will be not be on the ballot, but will be in the minds of the public: What did the Spring Hill Fire District do that the county could not have done?

All of the firefighters and EMS serve in an exemplary manner. There are those who will try to bring their wonderful service into the argument. The questions are about the administration, not the valiant service of the employees. Most of us are assured that without the Spring Hill Fire Board, it would be business as usual. The Spring Hill Fire Service would still be there.

Ken Fagan

Spring Hill

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