NFM, Bayshore valuations not enough
The North Fort Myers and Bayshore fire districts may have seen a nice jump in property values, but they still have a long way to go to fund their budgets the way they would like.
That is what the fire chiefs in both districts said last week as the preliminary property valuations came in from Lee County Property Appraiser Ken Wilkinson.
Bayshore saw a preliminary increase of exactly 6 percent, much higher than the estimate of 2.82 percent that came in last month.
North Fort Myers had a preliminary increase in 5.01 percent, up slightly from the 4.05 percent estimate.
While that will help fund both departments, it’s still a long way to go before they can buy new trucks and other items.
David Rice, new fire chief at North Fort Myers since December, said that while the increase is nice, it won’t impact their budget that much.
“The amount we’re getting back is minimal. We can’t base our budget on that number because that that doesn’t mean our budget number is going to be 5 percent,” Rice said. “Some are homesteaded and there are other exemptions that we have to put into our budget.”
At Bayshore, Chief Larry Nisbet said it’s a start considering ad valorem taxes had plummeted 43 percent during the recession because home values sank. But it will take a lot to get back up.
“It’s not enough to reinstate the personnel without the use of grants. We’re seeing increases in expenses. It’s a positive trend. If it stays like this, we can start to climb out of this,” Nisbet said. “We’ll be able to do some maintenance. We won’t be able to do any capital improvements or buy new equipment.”
Both departments sought fire assessments at the polls last year as a way to get away from the ups and downs of ad valorem methodology, with each getting a resounding “no” from voters.
Bayshore sought a flat “calls-for-service” assessment of $587.78 for its residents, among other things, which for some would have more than tripled the tax levy. It was defeated in June by a nearly 3-to-1 margin.
After six firefighters were laid off in September, a watered down measure was placed on the ballot again in November, again to a rousing defeat.
In August North Fort Myers sought a flat fee of $215 and to do away with the property tax. That was rejected by 63 percent of voters. The fire district will continue to charge up to a cap of 2.5 mills, or $2.50 per $1,000 of the assessed value of the property.
“We’re still having a hard time with our revenues. It’s not enough for us to plan and improve our department,” Rice said. “We have growth. I’m optimistic, but it’s not fast enough and I don’t see it in the budget yet.”
Nisbet said he has applied for SAFER grants in hopes of being able to fund more firefighters for two more years.
“We’re looking for as many alternative funding sources as we can. We’re still very frugal, but we don’t want to be penny wise and pound foolish,” Nisbet said.