What is a “Fire Services Assessment?”
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A \u201cfire services assessment\u201d is a special assessment imposed by the City against non-government property to fund all or a portion of the cost of making available and providing fire-rescue services. These costs include operating, capital, and debt-service costs to be incurred by the City.<\/p>\n
The City adopted a fire services assessment as part of the revenue diversification efforts to reduce the City\u2019s over-reliance on property taxes for funding the general operations of the government. The city chose a two-tiered approach to calculate the assessment. The two-tiered methodology for calculating the assessment requires all properties to participate at a set amount regardless of size (Tier 1). Tier 2 adds additional cost for developed properties based on building cost value and extra features.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was a new methodology for calculating a fire assessment called \u201cready to serve\u201d and requires a greater share of contribution from vacant parcels than the \u201ccalls for service\u201d methodology used by other cities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because this was a new methodology, the City made the financially prudent decision to test the legality of the new methodology by issuing a bond and going through a bond validation process. The City\u2019s methodology was validated by the Circuit Court in December 2013, and the decision was appealed to the Florida Supreme Court by a handful of local residents. On December 4, 2014, the Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments from both sides. The Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision in May 2015.
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