NFM Fire faces assessment vote
The North Fort Myers Fire District has become the latest in a long line of taxing districts that is trying to do away with the ad valorem taxing method used to fund its services.
Voters will go to the polls on Aug. 26 to decide whether to accept a new methodology to determine what they will pay for fire service.
And in an area where most people live in mobile homes, it could mean a good chunk of change out of their pockets.
The assessment, which would not go into effect until the 2015-16 budget year, would levy $215 per dwelling unit for residential property, $0.20 per square foot for commercial property, $0.02 per square foot for industrial/warehouse property, and $0.22 per square foot for institutional property with future increases limited to annual growth rate in Florida personal income for previous five years.
Empty parcels would not be charged.
Currently, the district uses a millage rate of 2.5, or $2.50 per $1,000 of the assessed value of the property. A home with a taxable assessed value of $86,000, which was about the price of the average home last year, would pay $215 in taxes.
Fire Chief Chris Noble said he realized that many people will be affected. He said out of 29,000 residences, 16,000 are mobile homes. Meaning at least two-thirds would pay more.
“Regardless of whether the home is worth $200,000 or $50,000, you’re getting the same exact service,” Noble said. “This looks like a viable and fair alternative, and that’s all we can do,”
By waiting a year for installation, Noble said it will give residents time to prepare.
“It may impact people negatively, so they might have to look at it and see what they would have to do financially,” Noble said. “We’re hoping it would be a major burden to people, but it’s an option we’re being forced to look at.”
North Fort Myers, like many other municipalities and districts, saw its funding go in the tank during the recession, as its property values fell by 47 percent.
Because of Save Our Homes and the Portability Act, which limits property tax increases to 3 percent per year, the district has used its reserves to continue operation. In that time it has lost a fire station and lost 18 positions, with those remaining not having had a raise in six years, among many other things.
“It’s not a matter of how much we’ll lose, it’s we’ve already lost. The question is, do you want to continue to lose,” Noble said.
The proposed assessment uses the calls-for-service method, which takes a historical look at where the demand for services has come. The study determined 82 percent of calls came from residential, so those properties will carry the brunt of the assessment.
Bayshore Fire District proposed a similar non ad valorem methodology, which was defeated soundly at the polls on June 24 in the special election. It will return to the polls again in November.
Bayshore Fire Chief Larry Nisbet said regardless of if it passes this time, he will have to lay off six firefighters on Sept. 14.
Noble said he hopes the NFM assessment is a little more palatable as opposed to the $587 flat rate levy Bayshore residents faced.
For more information go to www.northfortmyersfire.com.