Largo City staff put together a draft budget that would cut deep into police-adjacent basics like fire rescue, library hours, and recreation facilities, assuming voters approve Amendment 3 and homestead property tax revenue shrinks.
The city’s director of the office of performance and budget and the assistant city manager prepared the draft this month. By the city’s own estimate, Largo would lose $15.7 million a year if the amendment passes.
City officials stress the document is not a final spending plan or a formal proposal. They describe it as a planning tool for closing the gap.
“Without doing anything, it would be pretty huge cuts across the city,” Mayor Woody Brown told Spectrum News.
What’s on the list
Largo Fire Rescue could lose two advanced life support units, reduce relief staffing, and cut command coverage. The city could cut weekly public service hours at Largo Public Library in half. The Highland Family Aquatic Center & Tennis Courts and the Central Park Performing Arts Center could close.
The analysis assumes eliminating 136 full-time equivalent positions, leaving 599 general fund positions. Assistant City Manager Meridy Semones told the board that staffing was still above 600 as far back as 2003.
“This is a generational reduction in staffing in the general fund,” Semones said.
Commissioners weren’t consulted
Brown said the elected officials had no hand in shaping the draft. “That draft budget didn’t have any input from the decision makers, from the commission or myself,” he said, adding that he was not surprised by how dramatic it was.
The mayor said the city will also explore new revenue sources, including fire assessment fees and higher service fees. He cautioned that raising prices on some programs would not come close to covering the shortfall and could hurt affordability.
“We can’t raise fees on summer camp because it’s important to the families that use summer camp,” Brown said. He added that little league pays the city little to use its fields but remains a more affordable option than travel ball, and the city does not want to disrupt that.
Brown said he believes at least half of the draft cuts would have to happen if the amendment passes, because the city could not make up for the $15.7 million loss.
A different view on spending
At the Oct. 6 commission meeting, Commissioner Michael DiBrizzi thanked staff for their work but said he disagreed with much of the draft. He argued that city spending has far outpaced inflationary growth in recent years and that changes are needed whether or not Amendment 3 passes.
“I think, unfortunately, we created an unsustainable growth rate that we have to roll back,” DiBrizzi said.
His comments raise a question residents may want answered before November: whether Largo’s budget troubles stem mainly from a possible loss of revenue, or from spending growth that was already outrunning the cost of living.
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