Chiefland City Attorney Norm Fugate discusses the fire assessment with city commissioners.
By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Raising taxes is never easy in local government, even if it appears to be done for all the right reasons.
In Chiefland, city commissioners voted 3-2 on May 26 to approve a fire assessment study. Commissioners hired Government Services Group to prepare the first phase of a fire assessment study for $17,500 and the second phase for $7,000.
The assessment, if it is ever given final approval, and there is no certainty it will ever get the final nod, would be levied against homes and businesses within the city limits of Chiefland.
“Every time you sit down to discuss it you can pull the plug,” said Commissioner Norman Weaver, reminding the board that hiring GSG doesn’t mean it’s a done deal. The assessment may never win final approval.
Commissioners who voted in favor of the motion to hire GSG want to explore whether an affordable fire assessment could be implemented to supplement the city’s fire department budget.
Chiefland Fire Rescue has old fire engines and is attempting to find an additional $206,000 to supplement a $263,000 United States Department of Agriculture grant awarded to the city to purchase a fire engine.
City commissioners have enough money in their budget reserves to pay the additional cash for the fire engine, but that option hasn’t been discussed. Those in support of exploring the fire assessment want to create an ongoing city funding source for the fire department.
Mayor Chris Jones and Commissioners Tim West and Weaver supported the motion to hire GSG. Commissioners Rollin Hudson and Lewrissa Mainwaring were opposed.
Mainwaring has made it clear that this is the wrong time to be purchasing a fire engine when many businesses are still half-closed due to a state shutdown of the economy associated with the coronavirus. She said employees of those businesses are hurting just as much.
Hudson, the longest serving member of the board, said he went through same scenario earlier when the city commission considered implementing a fire assessment in an era when the city was on bad terms with the county commission and the former director of county public safety talked about taking over the city fire department. The former director is gone. The city maintained control of its fire department. The new county director of public safety, Mitch Harrell, works well with the city. Hudson said the city is on good terms with the county but he still doesn’t want to add the assessment to city property tax bills.
The fire assessment isn’t technically a tax. It isn’t funded by a property tax millage rate. The assessment would be a stand-alone fee that would appear on city property tax bills beginning in November if it is approved. Public hearings would be required before commissioners could adopt the assessment.
The first two phases of GSG’s work developing a fire assessment proposal should give the board a range of options to consider regarding the size of the assessment. GSG’s report should also tell the city how much revenue the different assessment options would generate. The real test of whether the assessment might receive approval is when the board holds public hearings and discusses how much the assessment might cost property owners.
The county commission and the city each provide about half the current funding to support Chiefland Fire Rescue. Chiefland’s contract with the county requires the department to respond to fires outside its boundaries and within its county fire district.
James Harris said his budget doesn’t provide enough money to buy a fire new engine. Every day is a new adventure using aging equipment to respond to fires.
Harris said the fire engine he wants to purchase isn’t a ladder truck but it will be a fire engine with a ladder. He said the city’s current fire engine has a ladder that can reach the top of a two-story building.
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City of Chiefland Regular Meeting May 26, 2020; Posted May 30, 2020
