The City Commission of Ocoee adopted a resolution at its May meeting to set a preliminary fire-protection assessment and scheduled the required public hearing for July 15 to set a final rate. The resolution establishes the initial not-to-exceed assessment that will be mailed to property owners before the final hearing.

Assistant City Manager Mike Grama told commissioners the current non-ad valorem assessment is $69.50 per fire-protection unit and the consultant recommendation would raise the assessment to approximately $139.23 per unit. Staff said the proposed rate would cover an estimated 36% of the fire department's costs; the remainder of fire and public-safety costs would continue to be funded from the city's general fund and ad valorem revenue.

Consultants present included Sandra Newbarth of Answer Advisory (the firm that prepared the fire assessment memorandum) and Heather Encinosa, the city's outside counsel for assessments. Grama said the fire-assessment methodology follows court-accepted practice and limits assessed costs to fire protection (statutorily excluding EMS transports). The resolution also provides for vacancy adjustments for mobile-home and RV parks and for fire-flow mitigation credits.

Chief Augburn and staff described several operational drivers behind the request: rising personnel costs, equipment replacement, and the estimated need to staff a ladder truck. Chief Augburn told commissioners the department expects a multi-year equipment and staffing need: three engines are approaching replacement, with modern fire engines costing more than $1.1 million and multi-year lead times; the department is proposing an incremental hire plan (one additional firefighter per shift initially, growing to a full complement of 12 over time) to staff a ladder truck.

Grama said the maximum per-unit rate allowed under the study methodology would be $386.75, which the city is not recommending. The preliminary resolution passed unanimously with Commissioner Kennedy absent; staff will mail notices of the proposed maximum assessment, hold the July 15 public hearing, and return with the final ordinance and rate to be included on the TRIM/tax roll if adopted.

The commission and staff emphasized that the assessment is designed to allocate fire-protection costs more equitably by property type and building size rather than shifting more burden to property-value-based millage.