Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldwingnut
The cap is on all properties and doesn't distinguish between residential and commercial properties, if a property is worth more than $10M, it is capped. There's no use discussing residential properties being capped because there aren't any anywhere near the value and only a hand full of commercial properties that meet the bar for a cap, and all of these have monitored fire alarms system and are sprinklered which reduce their risk. NFPA 72 mandates many measures in addition to these that help to mitigate fire risks in buildings. Once again, this is a common and normal practice for large commercial buildings to limit fire assessments. The total impact of the cap is a tiny portion of the almost $27M total VPSD budget.
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Now this is getting more confusing. What are the pros and cons of this "new" fire district?
Will TV be getting additional services?
Will the existing services be improved?
Will response time be improved?
Will administrative costs skyrocket?
Then there are 2 financial questions
If I read this correctly, residents will have a $124 flat non-ad valorem tax PLUS additional tax if needed based on assessments and only capped once property is worth over 10 million. This would mean that 2 homes next to each other might pay vastly different amounts for fire protection even though they are receiving the same service. And that sounds awfully like another progressive Robin Hood type tax, which I cannot support.
Secondly, also if I read correctly, the numbers are not yet finalized, so we have no idea what general property tax might be needed to fund the remainder of Sumter County's fire services once TV is split off, which kind of sounds like a pig in a poke.
Don, please correct me if that assessment is in error.