Deerfield Beach approves $350 fire-assessment fee after heated debate over impact on fixed‑income residents

The Deerfield Beach City Commission voted 4–1 Sept. 15 to reimpose a residential fire assessment of $350 per dwelling unit for fiscal year 2025–26, following a public hearing that drew several dozen speakers and sustained discussion about affordability, staffing and the cost of contracted services. The measure was presented as a resolution to reimpose the assessment and to approve the assessment roll. The CFO summarized the history of the fire assessment: a 2019 study set earlier rates, a 2022 updated study showed a fully funded residential rate at $372 (based on a five‑year average of assessable cost) and the city previously adopted $315 per residential dwelling as the current rate. “The current adopted fire assessment rate is $315 per residential unit … based on 2022 average assessable cost,” the CFO said. Public comment divided between residents who urged the commission to avoid new fees on fixed‑income households and those who said the $350 fee amounts to “a dollar a day” for reliable 24/7 emergency service. “This is a dollar a day assessment,” said Thomas Nolan, a representative of Local 4321, who spoke in support of the fee and described emergency medical calls as the largest category of fire‑rescue activity. Opponents pointed to Century Village and other senior neighborhoods where the flat assessment falls most heavily on people on fixed incomes. Commissioners said they had weighed competing concerns. Vice Mayor Preston said she could not “in good conscience support” raising the fee because it would strain many residents, while Commissioner Hudak said public safety staffing and BSO contract costs made it necessary to increase the adopted rate. Commissioner Hudak moved to set the assessment at $350; the motion carried on a roll‑call vote with Preston opposed. The council also reviewed five advertised rate options that had been posted for public comment, including lower and higher choices (roughly $315, $343, $350 and a $365 maximum advertised rate). The commission’s $350 vote falls below the $365 maximum that was advertised and above the city’s previously adopted $315 rate. The CFO noted the assessment is a non‑ad valorem special assessment that covers residential and non‑residential parcels and that detailed documentation and the assessment roll are available on the city website. The action was a reimposition of a fee to fund portion of fire‑rescue services contracted through the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO); commissioners also discussed the broader question of public‑safety costs in public comment and later in the meeting during the city‑BSO contract debate. The assessment decision included direction to staff to finalize the assessment roll and collection plan for FY 2025–26.