City passes higher fire fee

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009 at 12:44 am by Shaun Ryan

By PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com

The St. Augustine City Commission’s unanimous vote Monday to raise the city’s fire assessment was unpopular, but even anti-tax residents seemed to grudgingly understand that it was necessary to prevent higher property taxes.
Chief Administrative Officer Tim Burchfield said the raise from 4 cents per square foot to 6 cents would provide St. Augustine Fire Department with an additional $325,000.
Total fire fees collected now will be $1 million, a third of the fire budget of $3.2 million.
“We looked at other areas to spread the cost out,” Burchfield said. “The fire fee would allow us to not raise ad valorem as much.”
Property taxes will also go up, but declining home and business values mean that the city will collect $1.6 million less for 2010.
Fee opponent Barbara Binegar said, “Our paychecks don’t go up. Our taxes do. If it gets any higher, we’re going to lose our home. We can’t afford more taxes.”
The fire fee is levied on all city properties — except Florida National Guard headquarters and the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Fee opponent Dan Holiday, a businessman and native St. Augustinian, said, “This is no time to be raising taxes for any reason. Tighten your belt.”
A fire fee supporter, Chris Fulmer, said the extra $20 per year per home is “one meal at McDonald’s for a family of four.”
She related a story about how her neighbor fell and firefighters were there quickly to help.
Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline said that for the past three years, the city has given no raises or bonuses, as well as cut the budget.
“A day does not go by that I don’t hear a request from a resident to maintain or increase the level of service,” she said.
Mayor Joe Boles said, “I don’t like (raising fees) either. But fair is fair. We’re spreading the cost of fire protection over more people instead of just taxpayers. Churches pay it, Flagler College pays it. They are tax exempt. Fairness is all we’re trying to do.”
Commissioner Don Crichlow said the alternative is to reduce the level of service, which will increase fire insurance rates.
“I’m not in favor of reducing the quality of our service of our fire department,” he said.
He made a motion to approve and the measure passed 5-0.