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Seminole Fire Rescue millage proposal to rise to 1.8 mills to fund truck and station, staff say
Summary
County budget staff recommended raising the Seminole Fire Rescue District millage to 1.8 mills to fund a new fire truck, rising personnel costs tied to local contracts and a new fire station; commissioners signaled tentative support and asked staff to confirm municipal levy alignment.
Pinellas County budget staff on Aug. 28 recommended a millage increase for the Seminole Fire Rescue District from 1.5675 to 1.8 mills to pay for a new fire truck, higher personnel costs and a proposed new station.
Chris Rose described the recommended millage increase as the only millage the county is proposing to raise among the 23 districts it reviews; staff said the district’s tax base is majority unincorporated (about 70.8%) and that the district’s prior cuts had reduced the rate over the last four years.
Why it matters: The millage change would raise local property taxes in the unincorporated areas the district serves. Staff said the increase requires a simple majority and that the district’s salaries had trended below area peers before recent union contract increases.
Commissioner questions: Commissioners asked whether the city of Seminole’s in-city levy would mirror the increase and whether the district’s personnel requests for a new station were included in the current numbers. Staff said the county will confirm how the city is treating its levy but noted the proposed increase is still below four‑years‑ago rates and that a request for new station staffing was not yet baked into the county figures.
Ending: Commissioners signaled general support to include the increase in budget materials and asked staff to confirm whether in-city levies and the district’s internal staffing plans align with the county’s recommended rate.
