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North Port reviews Fire Rescue District assessment plan and fire department budget for FY26
Summary
Commissioners heard a presentation on the Fire Rescue Districtassessment methodology and a review of the fire departmentrecommended budget for fiscal year 2026, including proposed positions, capital needs and a proposed 10% "not to exceed" assessment increase for 2026.
City of North Port commissioners on June 17 reviewed a Stantec update to the Fire Rescue District assessment program and the fire departmentrecommended budget for fiscal year 2026.
The assessment program uses a two-tier structure: a flat annual Tier 1 charge and a Tier 2 variable charge tied to structure value. Peter Napoli of Stantec said Tier 1 currently is $171.82 per parcel; Tier 2 is assessed at $2.78 per $5,000 of structure value. Napoli said the average single-family home paid about $316 in the last year and, under a proposed "not to exceed" 10% increase for 2026, would pay about $335 annually — roughly a $20 increase.
City Manager Fletcher and Fire Chief Titus also presented departmental performance measures and budget details. Fletcher said the department has 162 positions in total and that seven new positions are included in the FY26 proposal. The presentation identified capital fluctuations in FY25 and listed needs including station buildouts, replacement apparatus, thermal imaging cameras and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Chief Titus addressed several items raised during the review, including that last year's PPE purchase was withdrawn by the manufacturer and is a rollover item in the FY26 plan. Titus emphasized the department's focus on response times and staffing stations ahead of openings so new facilities are staffed when they become operational.
Stantec's long-term financial forecast showed the district's plan holds the fund balance comfortably in the first five years but projected additional rate increases in later years to keep pace with new station staffing and other costs. Napoli said updated property-appraiser data showed structure value growth essentially flat to slightly down; he lowered his Tier 2 growth assumptions accordingly.
Commissioners asked about grants, population and response-time targets. Fletcher said the official population figure that could be verified was 95,072 (April 2024 figure cited in the meeting) and that the department's metric is 90% of calls within seven minutes. Commissioners pressed on equipment and training line items; Titus said some monitor and mannequin purchases might be funded from savings or grants if available.
No formal votes were held. Commissioners asked staff to return with additional detail and to continue discussions about the assessment rate proposal as part of the FY26 budget process.
