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Lealman Fire District seeks mergers
By ANNE LINDBERG © St. Petersburg Times, published August 16, 2000 LEALMAN -- After a heated debate and pleas from firefighters, the Lealman Fire Board has decided to ask the county for help in splitting the district and merging fire service with Pinellas Park and Seminole. The Fire Board "is requesting that the Board of County Commissioners support us in finding a new provider for fire and EMS services for the Lealman Fire District," board chairwoman Linda Campbell wrote in a letter Tuesday. Lealman fire officials maintain they still want to be an independent fire district that would operate under the Lealman name. But that might not be possible. Annexations are causing inroads into the tax base, they say. Lealman taxpayers who decide to stay in the unincorporated area would be shouldering an ever-increasing tax burden to make up for lost revenue. Fire officials fear the tax burden would become too much and the district would have to lay off firefighters to keep costs down. Eventually, the fire district would collapse of its own weight. To head off that possibility, fire Chief Gary Wolfe and Fire Board president Campbell have talked with officials from both Seminole and Pinellas Park. Neither of those cities wants to provide service to the entire Lealman Fire District, but both cities appear interested in managing half the district. Seminole would take the western portion of the district, from Kenneth City to Park Street. Pinellas Park would have the eastern portion, from Kenneth City to Interstate 275. It's unclear who would be responsible for Kenneth City, which contracts with Lealman for service. Although the possibility of having both cities take over fire service has been discussed at previous Lealman board meetings, one member at Monday's board meeting objected to the talks with Pinellas Park and Seminole. "As far as I'm concerned, I'd like to know what the hell is going on," Lealman board member Michael Brophy said. "There should not be a discussion going on with Pinellas Park and Seminole at this stage. Period." Voters are scheduled to decide later this year whether the Lealman district becomes an independent district with its own taxing authority. Brophy said he feared voters would be confused by the different messages the board and firefighters are sending: "I'm sure Joe Public is more confused than I am." Lealman firefighter Marc Bussian agreed, saying, "It can be confusing to the public. . . . You're barking up two different trees at the same time." Fire Chief Wolfe maintained that it's necessary to talk with both Pinellas Park and Seminole as a backup plan to prevent future layoffs. "Annexation is going to eat us alive," Wolfe said. Campbell agreed, saying, "You're not going to have a district to defend." Brophy replied, "We're projecting an image in the wrong direction. . . . We can have a strong district." "Of what? Twelve people?" Wolfe asked. Wolfe reminded Brophy that Seminole recently annexed a chunk of the Lealman Fire District on the western side of Park Street. While those property owners are still in the Lealman Fire District and get their fire service from Lealman, they pay their fire taxes to Seminole. Campbell chimed in, saying as taxes go up, property owners in Westchester, Five Towns and Sundown who pay the most taxes in the fire district will annex to avoid the Lealman fire tax. When that happens, Campbell said, "that's it. You have no other revenue." Later in the meeting, board member Robert Carter made a motion to write a letter of intent to the county asking for its support in talks with Pinellas Park and Seminole. At first, he got no second, so the matter seemed to die. Later, firefighter James Parker pleaded for the board to go ahead, saying such a split and merger might be the only way to guarantee jobs for all Lealman employees. "You're letting us down," Parker said. "They're giving us a chance now to say we need help. . . . We see the writing on the wall. We know what's happening out there." Brophy objected, saying the district is buying a new firetruck and other equipment. "All that new equipment will be in Pinellas Park," Brophy said. Firefighter Henry Fultz called out, "That's fine. They can have all the equipment they want, as long as we have a job and a paycheck." This time, board member Bill Adams seconded Carter's motion. Campbell joined in the vote. Brophy abstained.
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