Fire Chief James Harris said his department is understaffed and badly in need of better equipment.

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                Chiefland residents could very well see an additional charge of $129 added to the residential property tax bill in November.

            City Commissioners Monday gave preliminary approval to an ordinance that would allow them to impose a fire assessment of $129 on homes in the city.

            The vote was 3-2 to approve the assessment amount and 3-2 to approve the ordinance giving them authority to impose the fire assessment on homes and businesses.

            Chiefland Fire Rescue is the only city department that could use the money.

            Commercial property would be charged a rate of 5 cents per square foot and vacant land would be assessed a flat rate of $8.

            The city already allots $252,199 of property tax money for fire protection. The county commission contributes about the same amount to the city.

            The fire assessment would provide an additional $172,846 to the fire department. The money would probably be used to hire four additional firefighters.

            The split vote was identical for both motions, with Commissioners Tim West, Norman Weaver, and Mayor Chris Jones supporting establishment of a fire assessment and Commissioners Rollin Hudson and Lewrissa Mainwaring opposed.

            Commissioners were given options for the fire assessment ranging from $129 to $376 per residence. They chose the smallest number. Sandi Walker of Government Services Group developed the proposal and will return for the July 13 commission meeting with an assessment resolution the board can adopt.

            The timeframe would have the city submitting the fire assessment roll to the property appraiser by July 17 to be included on the TRIM notice.  The final adoption of the assessment would occur on Sept. 8-11 or on Sept. 14 after a public hearing.

            The tax collector would mail out the property tax bills with the fire assessment charge added to the bill. The tax bills go out in November.

            Jones said he watched his home burn to the ground one year and he believes strongly that the city needs better equipment and more qualified personnel in the fire department. Jones said he sees the fire assessment as a small supplement to help run the fire department.

            A reporter said he couldn’t ignore the fact that the city currently has two other funding sources for the fire department, city property taxes, and the county commission’s contribution.

            “I’m not ignoring it, but I can’t ignore the fact that we still have a budget that’s not good and aging equipment and we don’t have enough employees,” Jones said.

            Fire Chief James Harris recalled one day when his department was called to attend to a sick person in Otter Creek and wait for an ambulance, respond to a boating accident at Clay Landing, and help transport a critically ill 2-year-old to a helicopter landing zone all in the course of about 30 minutes and with one firefighter on duty. Another firefighter had called in sick that day. He said they found a way to get it done, but it won’t always happen that nicely.

            “We don’t have the manpower to do it, we don’t have the equipment,” Harris said. “We can keep just like we’re going, providing service, but it’s going to catch and when it catches it’s going to be bad. I’m not trying to put fear in you or anything like that I’m just trying to tell you what I see.”

            Harris said he has warned the city commission many times about all the strip malls in the city that have no sprinkler systems and no fire protection at all. He said if any of those malls catch fire the only thing the fire department can do is try to protect adjoining buildings.

            “It’s going to go to the ground and all we’re going to do is try to keep it from burning something else down,” Harris said.

            The city is applying for a USDA grant to purchase a new fire engine but it hasn’t received word yet on whether the grant will be funded or how much of the grant the city might receive. City Manager Mary Ellzey said if the city gets enough grant money to pay for half of the fire engine, the city can borrow the rest.

            The three commissioners who voted for the fire assessment said they are aware the city has its share of fixed-income residents who may not be able to afford the assessment. They want to adopt a hardship clause in the ordinance that allows residents to apply for an exemption or partial exemption. But the wording of the exemption and size of the exemption hasn’t been determined.

            Jones said the $129 assessment amounts to $10.85per month.

            West put it another way.

            “For just 35 cents a day you have fire service,” he said.

            Mainwaring has expressed concern in past commission meetings that many people in the community have no work as a result of the coronavirus and are in no position to pay an added tax.

            Hudson said people who aren’t paying any taxes will get quite a shock when they see they owe $129.

            “They’re going to have to have EMS come because they’ve had a heart attack,” Hudson said.

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City of Chiefland Regular Meeting June 22, 2020; Posted June 22, 2020