Fire Commissioner Complains About Budget Fire Commissioner Complains About Budget

The upcoming budget was dissected for the first time by fire commissioners Wednesday night.

The interim chief had e-mailed previews and data from the proposed budget to the board weeks earlier. He received no responses.

He assumed Wednesday's meeting would go smoothly.

"A lot of things bother me here, chief," said fire commissioner Rob Giammarco.

Interim Chief Mike Rampino told him he had asked the board to respond with questions via e-mail. When no one did, he assumed the budget was agreeable to everyone.

"No sooner do we get stuff, it changes," Giammarco said.

The recommended budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year - which begins Oct. 1 - is $14,235,537. That is down from this year's adjusted budget of $15,504,228.

Cuts were expected in the midst of a slumping housing market. The fire district relies on assessed property value for its tax revenue.

Adjustments were made on a number of line items, including per diem, rent, promotional activities and advertising.

Giammarco said it was not enough.

He had hoped to see the board "curtail spending" even more.

"I don't see us doing that," he told Rampino. "More items can be cut."

Rampino repeated his point about the e-mails to Giammarco and other members of the board. He also pointed out the e-mails are a matter of public record and said he was not "hiding anything from the public" by sending them.

Chairman Charles Raborn defended Rampino.

"I would assume the same thing," Raborn said. "If people don't get back to you, I would (think) they were OK with everything they read."

The fire board did not vote on the budget. Wednesday's meeting was more of a presentation.

The budget will go before the county commission during its public hearing tonight in Brooksville.