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Oldsmar mayor backs more firefighters

 If the city won't lower the property tax rate more, he says, then the Fire Department should get the money.

By TAMARA EL-KHOURY
Published July 11, 2006

OLDSMAR - What started as a discussion about lowering the millage rate at the July 4 City Council meeting turned oddly into talk of hiring three additional firefighters.

The result: a 4-1 vote to lower the millage rate from 4.65 mills to 4.6, and a 5-0 vote to consider hiring more firefighters.

The connection between the seemingly disparate topics was made when Mayor Jerry Beverland said he would support the slight decrease in the millage rate only if the council hired three firefighters with the revenue. Otherwise, the mayor said, he wanted to decrease the millage rate even more.

An increase in property values is enabling Oldsmar and other cities to lower millage rates while collecting the same or increased tax revenues.

July 4's vote approving a lower rate means the council cannot increase the rate this year. But it can lower it again.

The lowered rate means residents will pay $4.60 per $1,000 of taxable property value.

However, because of the rise in property values, the city would have to lower the millage rate to 3.9245 mills in order to keep the burden on the taxpayers the same.

Vice Mayor Janice Miller said she supports hiring more firefighters, and voted against lowering the millage rate.

"To reduce it that much, what's it going to save the people?" Miller said. "The city needs every bit of money we have. I would like to see $1-million in our reserves in case of a catastrophe."

The Fire Department asked for three firefighters - an additional firefighter per shift - in this year's budget proposal, said Chief Scott McGuff.

The move would cost the city about $150,000 a year, said City Manager Bruce Haddock.

McGuff said that if one of the five firefighters on shift is sick, on vacation or absent for any other reason, the department's new rescue vehicle is put out of service.

"We are moving toward having the staffing that would allow us to have the units in service at all times," McGuff said.

When all five firefighters are present, three are assigned to the engine and two to the rescue vehicle.

"It's crazy to have it sitting in the fire station not being used because we don't have enough manpower," said council member Suzanne Vale.

The City Council will discuss firefighters and other budget matters at a workshop at the fire station July 24 at 4 p.m.

"That's probably where we'll hammer out what we can make the millage rate," said council member Jim Ronecker. "We've had substantial increases in property values. I think it might be time to give something back to the citizens."

[Last modified July 11, 2006, 07:10:56]