Panel, city at odds over fire funding

Clearwater officials and members of a Fire Department task force both recommend improvements. But how to pay for them is a sticking point.

By CHRISTINA HEADRICK

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 23, 2000

CLEARWATER -- A residents committee has agreed with city officials that the Clearwater Fire Department should spend about $17-million to build new stations and buy new engines, plus hire 45 new firefighters over the next five years.

But on Tuesday, members of the city's fire task force refused to go along with city administrators on one major point. They disapprove of the city's idea to levy a new flat-price "fire fee" on every city property owner to cover the extra costs.

Instead, the committee is recommending the city use money from its expected intake of $101-million in Penny for Pinellas sales tax funds during the next decade to improve fire protection in the city, according to a draft report to be presented to the City Commission in March.

In making its report, the committee suggested the city rethink its priorities. Some committee members said the city is spending too much on beautification and redevelopment -- and not enough on public safety.

"The Fire Department has yet to see $1 of our Penny money," said committee member Joe Evich. "Now we're asking for $17-million out of all that money. . . . What we're saying is that public health and safety is important and it's time for it to get its fair share."

What can't be financed with sales tax dollars should come out of the city's property tax funds, probably requiring an increase in property taxes, committee members said. But the specifics still need to be worked out and officials said the result could be difficult choices.

"It's a question of recreation centers, libraries or public services," City Manager Mike Roberto said later Tuesday. "If someone's going to tell us to pull from the general fund, we need to know which recreation center is going to close, which library is going to close or which police officers they want to lay off?"

Top items on the Fire Department's wish list include new fire stations on Sand Key and in the northwest area of the city; an expanded central training facility; at least seven new trucks; 45 new firefighters; two new fire inspectors and two new clerks.

The department's calls have more than doubled during the past 20 years -- with few significant increases in the department's staffing, Fire Chief Rowland Herald said.

By contrast, the projects that now are being financed by the Penny for Pinellas during the next decade are "quality of life" items, including improvements to Coachman Park, a new city library, Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard beautification and numerous parks and recreational projects.

"What things should we red-line off the Penny (sales tax) list now to make up the extra dollars for fire?" Margie Simmons, the city's finance director, asked citizens committee members Tuesday.

Committee members declined to answer.

"I'm not going to sit here and say we need to eliminate a recreation center in some neighborhood for fire (services)," said committee member Russ Kimball. "That's the administration's privilege."

Committee members said they couldn't support a fire fee now because it would be too controversial. The option of increased property taxes for residents, they noted, was a "tried and true" form of funding. And property taxes would be tax-deductible, while fire fees would not be.

City officials had figured that the proposed fire fee would cost a single-family homeowner from $58 to $142, depending on how much money it needed to raise.

But city staffers have pointed out that the fire fee would be charged to all property owners -- meaning that non-profit groups like the Church of Scientology would have to pay for fire service. Such groups now are exempt from property taxes.

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