Sanford commissioners deny proposed fire-assessment after hours-long public hearing

The Sanford City Commission voted unanimously Sept. 8 to deny a staff-recommended resolution to levy a fire-assessment intended to raise about $2.13 million a year for the department's capital needs.

The measure would have created a two-tiered assessment: a Tier 1 availability fee charged per parcel and a Tier 2 charge tied to structure value (a $1.33 charge per $5,000 of structure value in the first-year proposal). Senior principal Mike Burton, the consultant hired to design the assessment, told the commission the study used an "availability" methodology and said, "The revenue raised by the fire assessment must be used for the fire department and only for the fire department." He described the assessment as limited to recovering average annual capital needs of approximately $2.13 million from the assessment while the remainder of fire operating costs would remain in the general fund.

Why it matters: Commissioners framed the vote as a policy choice about how to pay for long-term equipment replacement and capital needs. Many residents and business owners who…