BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. — A Bradford County woman is pushing back against the county’s newly approved budget, calling it “tone deaf” and “out of touch” with working families.
Bo Haisten says she was stunned when, during a recent commission meeting, Fire Chief Ben Carter appeared to suggest they could cover the monthly cost of their new $167 annual fire fee by skipping one fast food meal.
“I live on a very fixed income,” Haisten said. “I try to make art to supplement my income. I can’t afford to eat, period.”
In a statement, Carter said he never told anyone to skip fast food: "To give a tangible example of what $13.92 looks like, I made a comparison to a fast food meal."
The fee, approved by commissioners, will appear on tax bills starting November 2025. County Manager Scott Kornegay said the fire department needed a dedicated funding source, noting that the assessment will only cover half the department’s budget.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
But Haisten says the same budget includes a nearly $200,000 salary for the sheriff—up from last year. “Nobody deserves a raise like that,” she said.
The sheriff’s salary is listed as $195,336.
The sheriff’s office responded, saying the salary is set by a state formula based on population.
Haisten argues the budget fails to reflect the financial strain many families face.
“Not everybody lives like that. They can’t afford it. And some people that do have good incomes, raising your family – it takes a lot of money. People are strapped,” she said.
You can read the full statements from fire and sheriff’s office officials below.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Fire Chief Ben Carter on his commission statement
“I think it is also important to highlight my direct quote from the meeting. I never told anyone to “skip McDonald’s”. When talking about the fire assessment amount, I was breaking it down to a monthly cost of $13.92, as well as a quarterly cost. To give a tangible example of what $13.92 looks like, I made a comparison to a fast food meal. My direct quote was this: “Y’all don’t throw anything at me, but this is truly, I think, a comparison, ok... it’s one fast food meal a month.”
“Again, I never told anyone to skip a meal to pay their fire assessment fee.”
County Manager Kornegay on the fire assessment
“Regarding the fire assessment, the cost to fund the fire department currently comes from revenue generated by the ad valorem tax. Prior to the levy of the fire assessment there was no dedicated funding source for fire operations. The current level of assessment will only cover 50% of the budget. The remaining 50% will continue to come from property tax revenue.”
Chief Deputy Colonel Bradford Smith on the sheriff’s salary
“The Sheriff’s salary is derived annually from the State of Florida by a formula from a vote of the state legislature. The individual county’s population is directly tied to the formula, but does not involve the county commission whatsoever. This is done to prevent county politics playing a role in the decision. Currently, Bradford County has a population right at 28,000.”
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
