Fire Protection Assessment
 

Hi, I just received a notification from Sumter County that my fire protection assessment will be increased from $125 to $360. Is this real? 3 times of the current assessment? They said I have to attend the meeting to appeal. Is this one of the scams that only attending people get to stay with the current rate and snowbirds will be assessed 3 times higher rate? Please advise.. SC

More homes require more fire stations. I don't like unnecessary taxes any more than the other person but to me a tax for fire protection is a necessary tax I can live with. You will pay for it one way or the other, through an assessment or higher property taxes. Nothing is free that I have found so far.

:ohdear: Not what my notice said. :read:

What it states is they are increasing the maximum allowable assessment which has not been changed for 12 or 13 years. When the time comes to actually increase your assessment there isn't much you can do about it, meeting or no meeting. A bigger deal in my opinion is the 3.8 million dollar surplus in Wildwood tax revenue. What are they doing with it and will they lower our property taxes? They will find somewhere to spend it and will most likely to lower our taxes.

I agree that more houses would require more fire stations. But, why would that result in a higher individual assessment if there are more homeowners to pay for the fire stations? I don't see a lot of houses burning down in The Villages. Who determines how many fire stations we really need?

Of all the price increases I object to, fire fighters aren’t one of them. They do a lot more than just put out fires. Last year I ate something and I was chocking on it. I dialed for help, couldn’t even talk, but firemen were at my home within minutes. By then I was able to breathe and open the door for them. I will always be thankful that they came to help. It reminded me of my aunt who at a young age chocked to death on a chicken bone she accidentally swallowed.

Salaries, Insurance, equipment purchase and maintenance, Building maintenance are a few of the things whose costs increase each year. I believe the fire stations are built and staffed based on the number of houses so the allocations should be the same regardless.

I think they should be built and staffed based on the number of fires, not on the number of houses. It seems to me that there aren't very many house fires occurring in The Villages.

Don’t more homes mean more households will be paying for fire protection? Why do existing residents rates need to potentially go up 3X to cover the increased needs?

The notice says there will be a hearing for public comment. This is required by law. It doesn't say our assessment is going up - it says they want to raise the ceiling in the event their future budgets require the extra money, and to do that, they must hold a public hearing. I believe there are formulas that outline parameters for recommended fire protection based on area and density; whether these are followed in TV when they decide to put up a new station or not, I'm not sure - it would be a good question to ask the commissioners!

I have an ex-brother-in-law who is a Libertarian. He believes that the fire departments should be privatized. People could decide whether or not they want to pay for fire protection. If they want it, they would pay a yearly fee, rather like insurance, say $350 a year. This would pay the costs of running the fire department, including salaries, supplies, and equipment. If there was a fire in the homes of those people, the fire department would come put it out. No further charge. Essentially, all the subscribers chip in to cover the costs.

However, those who didn’t want to pay the $350 a year could opt out and pay nothing. But if there was a fire, the fire department would show up and keep the homes of the neighbors safe. If the homeowner without coverage refused to sign the paperwork, the burning house would burn to the ground. If the homeowner did sign, the home would be saved if possible, but the homeowner would receive a fair bill from the fire department that includes all costs for putting out the fire, for training, for insurance, for hospital costs, etc. Say a minimum of $10,000, and easily ten times that amount.

He also believes that police protection should be for those who pay for it. There’s a burglary at your house? If you haven’t paid for police insurance and want help, you get billed for, say, the detectives, the court case, etc. I don’t agree with him.

Fire Assessment Fees
 

Why almost 300% ? Yes, costs go up. And Yes we want good fireman, but let's be reasonable and not emotional.

"Not many house fires in The Villages" - TRUE.

Open to opinion - Do they really need to send a fire engine (sometimes with Emergency truck) to EVERY fender-bender on the roads ? This constitutes the majority of "runs" for the fire trucks. That catch-all term "With an abundance of caution" does not set well with me.

See how far the fire house and hydrants are from your home. If they are very close, your home owners insurance should be decreased which might offset the tax increase.

Good Point - 86% of FD runs are for medical issues, However your impact fees & monthly fees should be well on the way of paying for them.

What a ridiculous idea. Communities need fire protection. If you are not willing to pay for it, you can move.