Brooksville council questions sheriff contract costs; consensus to coordinate termination if state amendment passes

Sheriff Al Nienhuis and Lieutenant Rocky Howard briefed the council on the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office contract that provides six deputies to Brooksville. They showed calls‑for‑service and traffic‑stop data and noted priority‑one response times have averaged about six minutes, rising near seven minutes during 2026.

Council members raised budgetary concerns tied to a proposed state amendment that could reduce local revenues. Staff reminded the council the current interlocal agreement can be terminated with 18 months’ written notice; the sheriff said he would work with the city and pledged—on the record—to align the termination timing if the amendment passes and the council chooses to end the contract earlier. The sheriff agreed to put his offer in writing and to coordinate with the city attorney on the wording.

Council members asked about savings estimates if the contract were terminated early and about operational impacts, including how special events and off‑duty details would be handled if city‑funded deputies were removed. Staff estimated potential general‑fund savings in the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the termination date; council emphasized that some public safety and event costs would shift to off‑duty detail or county resources and may not be guaranteed.

After a long exchange, council reached consensus not to take immediate action on the contract and to accept the sheriff’s offer to coordinate an end date tied to the outcome of the pending state amendment; staff and attorney will follow up to clarify financial flows (including statutory references cited by council) and how certain fines or ticket distributions are affected by a contract change.