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Melbourne Beach weighs paid firefighters, county or neighboring takeover and a potential fire tax
Summary
At the May 14 budget workshop commissioners reviewed proposals for adding paid firefighters, a quote from a neighboring agency to provide service, and preliminary estimates for a local fire assessment (fire tax). Staff were asked to return with cost comparisons and options for selling or trading the town’s aging fire truck.
Melbourne Beach, Fla. — Commissioners spent a large portion of the May 14 budget workshop discussing whether to add paid firefighters, pursue an interlocal service agreement with a neighboring agency, or rely on Brevard County — and how to fund any choice with a dedicated fire assessment.
Town Manager Elizabeth Mascaro presented cost comparisons that the town has gathered so far. A staffing plan that adds six full‑time firefighters plus the fire chief produced a draft annual cost estimate in the town manager’s presentation of roughly $860,000. Mascaro said a neighboring municipality’s initial proposal for service — presented as a starting negotiation point — was about $904,000, and the county’s potential assessment numbers were still under review.
"They would add basically one additional firefighter per shift up in Atlantic… the total amount would be $904,000 for them to take over," Mascaro said when reviewing a quote from the neighboring agency. Commissioners heard the Atlantic figure could be negotiated down but were cautioned that once local capacity is dismantled it can be hard to restore.
Commissioners and the fire chief discussed operational considerations. The draft for a town‑run paid program contemplates a 24‑hour staffing model (24 on/48 off or variations) and included equipment, training and onboarding costs. The fire chief noted the town’s current volunteer program and its role in cost containment, and he said the town’s volunteer stipend budget is built on an 85% participation projection.
Capital and equipment questions came up alongside staffing. The town has budgeted for a new fire truck arriving in August and was discussing options for the outgoing apparatus: sell at auction, use a broker, trade to a training institution for in‑kind training credit, or donate. Staff recommended the commission expect a modest return on a 20‑plus‑year apparatus — perhaps tens of thousands of dollars at auction rather than any large recovery of original cost — and to consider trade or auction options rather than outright donation for taxpayer accountability.
The commission also discussed a funding approach that would put a substantial portion of fire costs onto a dedicated local assessment (a fire tax) rather than the town’s general ad valorem tax. Mascaro produced two illustrative figures: a flat $350 per property across roughly 1,607 properties would generate about $562,450; a $548 per property rate would generate about $880,636. Commissioners discussed the equity of flat fees versus square‑foot or bracketed approaches and asked staff to obtain consultant estimates for equitable assessment formulas, including potential credits or protections for fixed‑income homeowners.
Next steps directed by the commission included: return cost comparisons that include final figures from Atlantic and Brevard County, more detailed personnel and equipment cost models for the six‑person staffing option, a consultant estimate for fire assessment structures (flat fee, brackets, or square‑foot approaches), and proposal options for disposing of or trading the existing fire truck.
No formal decision was made; staff will bring refined cost estimates and options to a subsequent meeting for a possible referendum or commission action.
