Hernando: City-county progress reported amid tension

BROOKSVILLE -- The second meeting between the Brooksville City Council and the Hernando County Commission on Monday night didn't go entirely smoothly.

Vice Mayor Richard Lewis, for example, said, "I see five commissioners sitting here tonight not representing anyone from the city of Brooksville. And the one who bothers me the most is Commissioner (Betty) Whitehouse. She's from our district. She's supposed to represent us."

Despite the heated words, others at the meeting said the two sides did make progress. The county, which previously had said it would not help with the cleanup of Cheyenne Pass Landfill -- a facility the city leased in the 1960s and '70s -- said it would.

Also, some commissioners said the board would be willing to explore a plan that would require it to pay for fire protection on buildings the county owns in the city.

The two sides spent little time discussing the main point of contention, utility service in the area around the city.

But County Administrator Richard Radacky said a smaller group of representatives from the city and the county have made progress in drawing a service boundary for utilities.

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright