 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Voters to pick the group that sets rate of fire taxes
By ANNE LINDBERG © St. Petersburg Times, published October 22, 2000 LEALMAN -- Voters will have a chance come election day to change the group that decides how much property owners are charged for fire taxes. That decision is embodied in 61 words on the Nov. 7 ballot: "Do you approve of a proposal to allow the future Board of Commissioners of the Lealman Special Fire Control District, as established by the Florida Legislature in House Bill 1549, to directly authorize, assess and collect ad valorem taxes of up to 10 mills for the purpose of providing fire suppression services within the newly created Lealman Special Fire Control District?" If voters say no, then the Pinellas County commissioners will set the tax rate in accordance with the budget created by the Lealman Fire Board and approved by the county. That's the way it's done now. If voters say yes, then the Lealman Fire Board will set both the budget and determine the tax rate. That would remove county oversight of the process. "The issue is a funding issue," Lealman fire Chief Rick Graham said. "There's really no difference." If the change is granted, the Fire Board would be able to increase the tax rate up to 10 mills. That's the same cap under which the commissioners currently operate. A mill is $1 of taxes for every $1,000 of property value. The Lealman fire district's tax rate is currently 5.5 mills. That means the owner of a $75,000 home with a $25,000 homestead exemption will pay $275 in fire taxes this year. That could not change until Oct. 1, 2001, no matter what the voters decide. Lealman fire officials want the change because it will mean they're finally operating as an independent fire district. Up to now, the district has been run by a not-for-profit corporation run by a publicly elected board. The county contracted with the corporation to run the fire district. Last year, the Lealman fire board began looking for ways to get firefighters state-level retirement and long-term disability benefits. The fire board was unable to pay for such benefits and firefighters were not eligible because they were not public employees. Early last summer, the Legislature granted the fire board the right to become an independent fire district. That would mean the firefighters would be public employees and would get the state benefits. Making the changeover complete requires many steps. Two of those voters will have the opportunity to decide Nov. 7. One is new commission members. The other would be the group's right to set the tax rate. But whether or not the Lealman officials gain the right to raise taxes, the independent district will kick in on Nov. 8, said Graham. And on Nov. 8, it begins to get confusing. On that morning, there will be two groups: The board for the not-for-profit corporation and the commission for the new independent district. The corporation board will have the employees, assets and income from the 2000-01 tax year. The commission will have members and the money from the 2001-02 and subsequent budgets. Some say if voters turn down the referendum, then the new group will have no power. Others say the new group will have the power to run the Fire District, regardless of the referendum vote. The county, they say, would have to set the tax rate as is done now. The only difference would be the county would deal with the new commission rather than the corporation board. Those people also say the old board must transfer its employees, assets and monies to the new board in order to get it running. "It looks very messy and complicated from the outside, but it's not," Graham said. Compounding the confusion is annexation. Seminole recently annexed a large chunk of the fire district's western side, taking with it many tax-rich businesses. Pinellas Park is also busy fielding calls from property owners on the fire district's northern border. At one recent council meeting, Pinellas Park annexed 22 properties in the Lealman area and more come each meeting. As homes and businesses are annexed, the fire district still has to respond to calls in those areas, but the district does not get the funds from those areas. The monies go to the cities. That makes some doubt the future of the district. They worry that the eroding tax base will place too heavy a tax burden on those who are left to bear the brunt of the taxes. They advocate merging the fire service with another city, such as Pinellas Park. That would not affect annexations, but it would mean that city would have to contract with the county to provide service in the Lealman area. The idea is that the tax burden on Lealman residents would be less that way because the city is already getting some of that money from those who have annexed into its borders. So the board, which is advocating that voters help them establish an independent district, also is studying the possibility of merging with Pinellas Park. While the goals appear mutually exclusive, Graham says they may not be. Becoming an independent district, he said, does not mean the fire service could eventually be merged. "The board wants to make sure that they have explored every option out there before they make any decision," he said. The ultimate goal, Graham said, is to make sure no firefighters lose their jobs and that the fire district is operated as cost-efficiently as possible while maintaining a high-quality service.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times South Pinellas desks |
