The Hernando County Commissioners are a five-member elected board that serves as the county’s legislative and governing authority, setting policy, adopting the annual budget, and passing local ordinances for the roughly 221,700 residents of Hernando County, Florida. Each commissioner represents a separate geographic district but is elected countywide, and the board meets publicly twice a month at the Hernando County Government Center.
Who Serves on the Board
As of 2025, the five seats are held by:
- District 1: Ryan Amsler (Vice Chair)
- District 2: Brian Hawkins
- District 3: John Allocco
- District 4: Jerry Campbell (Chair)
- District 5: Steve Champion (Second Vice Chair)
The board picks its Chair and Vice Chair from among its own members each year. Jeff Rogers serves as County Administrator, running the day-to-day operations of county departments under the board’s direction.1Hernando County. Board of County Commissioners
What the Commissioners Do
Chapter 125 of the Florida Statutes gives the board broad authority to carry on county government in any way not inconsistent with state law.2Justia Law. Florida Code 125.01 – Powers and Duties In practice, the commissioners adopt ordinances that carry the force of law, approve resolutions directing administrative action, and set policy for county departments. Their reach covers zoning and land use, fire protection, parks and recreation, water and sewer utilities, road construction, public transportation, housing programs, and environmental regulation.
The board also appoints the County Administrator, who functions as the chief executive over county staff. Appointment and removal each require the votes of at least three of the five commissioners.3Online Sunshine. Florida Code 125.73 – County Administrator; Appointment, Qualifications, Compensation
The board’s power has real limits. The Florida Legislature has preempted county authority in areas including firearms regulation, the state lottery, regulation of professions, and certain labor and employment matters. Where state law occupies a field, a conflicting county ordinance is invalid.
What the Board Does Not Control
Several county functions sit outside the commission’s authority entirely. The Florida Constitution creates independently elected officers, including the Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and Supervisor of Elections. These officers run their own agencies and answer to voters, not to the board.4Florida Senate. Constitution of the State of Florida The commission’s leverage over them is largely financial: it decides how much county funding each office receives. It cannot tell the Sheriff how to police, or the Property Appraiser how to value property. Complaints about those decisions belong with the constitutional officer, not the board.
How Commissioners Are Elected and Paid
Each commissioner serves a four-year term. Terms are staggered so that not all five seats appear on the same ballot. Candidates must reside within the district they seek to represent, but every registered voter in the county votes on every seat.1Hernando County. Board of County Commissioners This at-large method is Florida’s default; switching to single-member district elections would require a countywide referendum.5Online Sunshine. Florida Code 124.011 – Single-Member County Commission Districts
Hernando County does not currently impose term limits on its commissioners. Because Hernando operates under a non-charter form of government, imposing term limits locally would require adopting a county charter or a change in state law.
Commissioner pay is set by state formula, tied to county population. Hernando falls into Population Group V (200,000–399,999 residents), with a statutory base salary of $16,500 plus a per-capita increment above the group minimum. For Hernando’s estimated population of about 221,700, the formula produces an annual salary of roughly $16,800.6Online Sunshine. Florida Code 145.031 – Board of County Commissioners7U.S. Census Bureau. Hernando County, Florida QuickFacts
When and Where the Board Meets
The board meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 9 a.m. in the John Law Ayers Memorial Council Chambers at the Hernando County Government Center. The first Tuesday of each month is reserved for land use hearings, workshops, and special sessions.1Hernando County. Board of County Commissioners
All meetings are open to the public under Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Law, which requires that any meeting where official acts will be taken be publicly noticed and open to attend. No binding action can occur behind closed doors.8Online Sunshine. Florida Code 286.011 – Public Meetings and Records; Public Inspection; Criminal and Civil Penalties
If you can’t be there in person, the county broadcasts meetings live on its local government cable channel and streams them through the official county website. Video archives remain available online afterward, and agendas with supporting documents are posted several days ahead of each session.
How to Speak at a Meeting
To address the board, fill out a speaker card near the entrance of the council chambers and submit it to the board clerk before the relevant agenda item comes up. A general Citizens’ Input segment allows comments on topics not tied to a specific agenda item. Speakers are typically given three minutes.
The board enforces rules of decorum. Personal attacks and disruptive outbursts are not permitted, whether you’re speaking during Citizens’ Input or during a public hearing on a specific ordinance or land-use matter.
Land Use Hearings Work Differently
Land use hearings, held on the first Tuesday of the month, run under different rules than regular business meetings. When the board considers a rezoning request or a special-use permit, it acts in a quasi-judicial capacity, meaning commissioners function more like judges evaluating evidence than legislators setting policy.9Online Sunshine. Florida Code 286.0115 – Access to Local Public Officials; Quasi-Judicial Proceedings on Local Government Land Use Matters
If a commissioner has spoken privately with anyone about a pending quasi-judicial matter, that conversation must be disclosed on the record before the vote. Written communications about a pending land-use decision must also enter the record before the board acts. For residents at these hearings, the practical point is that testimony carries more weight when it addresses the specific approval criteria in the county’s land development code rather than generalized opposition.
The Budget and Property Tax Hearings
The board’s most consequential annual act is adopting the county budget. For fiscal year 2026, Hernando County’s total budget is approximately $993 million, covering law enforcement, road maintenance, parks, water utilities, and everything else the county funds.10Hernando County. FY26 Budget Book
A large share of that revenue comes from property taxes, which the board controls by setting the annual millage rate. For FY 2025–26, the board reduced the General Fund millage rate to the rollback rate of 6.1650 mills. The rollback rate is a state-defined calculation designed to produce roughly the same tax revenue as the prior year, excluding new construction.11Hernando County. FY25-26 Budget Book Tentative Overview
Florida’s Truth in Millage (TRIM) Act requires the board to hold at least two public hearings before finalizing the millage rate. The first hearing considers the tentative budget and proposed rate; a second hearing follows within 15 days to adopt the final budget and millage. Weekday hearings must be held after 5 p.m., and neither may fall on a Sunday.12Florida Senate. Florida Code 200.065 – Method of Fixing Millage At each TRIM hearing, the first item discussed must be whether the proposed millage exceeds the rollback rate and, if so, what the additional revenue will fund. The public has the right to speak and ask questions before any vote. These are the meetings where residents have the most direct influence over their property tax bills.
How to Contact a Commissioner
Each commissioner has a dedicated office phone line and county email address. The administrative offices are located within the Hernando County Government Center, and appointments are available during standard business hours. The county’s main phone line is (352) 754-4000.1Hernando County. Board of County Commissioners
One thing to know before you email a commissioner: every message you send becomes a public record. Florida’s Public Records Law makes all documents made or received in connection with official business open to inspection and copying by any person.13Florida Senate. Florida Code 119 – Public Records That includes emails, letters, and text messages. If someone files a public records request with the county, your correspondence with a commissioner can be released. Public records requests happen routinely. Keep that in mind when deciding what to put in writing versus what to raise in a phone call or in-person meeting.14Online Sunshine. Florida Code 119.07 – Inspection and Copying of Records