MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Martin County Fire Rescue leaders warn that delayed response times and massive staff cuts are imminent if Amendment 3 passes on the statewide ballot this November.

Martin County Fire Chief Chad Cianciulli gave a presentation to commissioners during Tuesday morning’s meeting outlining the expected operational rollbacks the department will have to make if homestead tax exemptions increase. With personnel costs making up the vast majority of the department’s operational budget, the biggest cuts will hit staffing directly—with the chief warning his department would lose 116 firefighters over the next two fiscal years.

“You lose one of these firefighters, it is a detriment to this organization. It is a detriment to this community,” said Cianciulli.

Under the state’s proposed property tax amendment, MCFR is projected to lose $9.5 million in the first year, and an additional $7 million in year two, creating a total $16.5 million budget deficit. To absorb those revenue losses, the department outlined severe operational changes, including the closure of Station 33 and Station 18. Along with the loss of firefighters, MCFR would also eliminate its specialized emergency response units, including HAZMAT, the Technical Rescue Team, and the Marine Rescue Unit.

Some commissioners sided with the chief, emphasizing the critical need to protect core public safety funding over non-essential services and discussing whether 10% across-the-board cuts should instead be considered for other county departments.

“There’s not a lot of services that counties offer that are a matter of life and death. This and what our sheriff’s office does is, in my mind,” said Commissioner Edward Ciampi. “I’m not interested in closing any fire stations. I’m not interested in cutting any personnel.”

Chief Cianciulli also pointed to delayed response times as a direct consequence of these closures and staffing reductions. MCFR is currently held to an 8-minute response time standard per county regulations, but Cianciulli warned that maintaining that benchmark would be nearly impossible under the proposed budget restrictions. Department officials added that longer response times could also downgrade the county’s public protection classification, potentially driving up property insurance rates for homeowners.

Commissioner Eileen Vargas offered a different perspective during the workshop, looking closely at personnel expenses and citing her conversations with Martin County residents about where cuts can be made without reducing core emergency coverage.

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“Some of the biggest expenses, next to salaries, which are huge, are the retirement and the health care… which is based on salaries… I think we have to take a hard look here,” said Vargas.

Cianciulli addressed those comments shortly after, standing firm on the value and compensation of his personnel.

“When you reference the firefighter salaries, they are not overpaid. In fact, they need to be paid more,” Cianciulli said.

County commissioners plan to hold additional budget workshops ahead of the November election to analyze broader countywide cuts and alternative revenue options as local leaders prepare for the potential financial shift.