The Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 2 adopted a final rate resolution that raises the residential fire protection assessment from $120 to $151 for fiscal year 2025–26. The board voted 5–0 to approve the change following a public hearing and staff presentation. Greg Scott, a county staff presenter, told the board the resolution implements previously directed rate changes and translates earlier board direction into final assessment amounts. "The current fire assessment is $120 on residential, and staff is asking for $151 — that's a $31 increase for residential," Scott said.

The resolution also adjusts other categories: the vacant-land fire assessment would rise from $23.37 to $29.41; commercial charges would increase from $0.12 per square foot to $0.15; and the acreage charge for vacant land over 160 acres would rise from $0.22 to $0.28 per acre. Scott reminded the board the measure preserves a protection the board already adopted: homesteaded residential properties up to 160 acres are not assessed the vacant-land fee. "We passed that resolution, protecting the taxpayers that if you own a homestead up to 160 acres ... you will not be hit with a vacant land buyer assessment going forward," Scott said.

During the public hearing, resident Carol Lee Howe spoke in favor of the increase, saying emergency services rely on steady funding. "We need to support this additional $31 a year. That's only 8 and a half cents a day for residential," Howe said. Another resident urged caution about growing county reserves and fiscal choices, but did not oppose the fire assessment increase. After public comment, Commissioner White moved to approve the resolution; Commissioner Hale seconded. The motion carried 5–0.

Why it matters: the assessment raise funds fire and emergency services countywide and will be billed in the 2025–26 fiscal year. The board framed the change as restoring funding that has not been raised since 2021; Scott said the last increase had occurred in 2021 and this change responds to costs and prior board direction. The action is administrative: final rates were adopted by resolution following the board’s public-hearing process and will be implemented for the coming fiscal year.

Implementation and next steps: staff will finalize the assessment roll and apply the new rate in tax-billing and assessment documents for FY 2025–26. Any details about billing schedules or appeals will be handled by county finance and included in the official assessment notices.