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Okeechobee officials keep FY‑26 fire and EMS rates, shift to 50/50 cost split; Station 4 funding paused for planning
Summary
County staff told commissioners a rerun of the CASA assessment allowed the county to keep fiscal 2026 fire and EMS rates and fund equipment and station work without raising assessments. Commissioners asked to hold off committing Station 4 funds while staff analyzes call zones and upcoming development.
Okeechobee County commissioners were told a rerun of the CASA assessment report generated enough additional fire assessment revenue to keep fiscal year 2026 rates and restore equipment and station items while maintaining projected assessment levels.
County Fire Rescue leadership and budget staff presented revised figures and recommended moving to a 50/50 split of personnel and many shared costs between Fire and Emergency Medical Services for budgeting purposes. "That rerun of information ... There's sufficient funds to do what we talked about," the fire chief said, adding the department could fund the previously requested equipment and station improvements while staying at the FY‑26 rates.
The chief told commissioners the total proposed Fire Rescue budget is $6,723,457 and the EMS proposed budget is $6,614,361; both totals were presented by staff as the work session proceeded. Staff also said capital requests remain in the package, and that some equipment and building items previously removed have been added back in after the CAS A rerun.
Commissioners pressed for more detail before committing to building Station 4. One commissioner suggested combining projected development and current call‑volume "hot spots" to decide whether to spend roughly $300,000 earmarked for Station 4 now or hold the funds in reserve for a different location or timing. "I just think ... we can combine all that and try to come up with a location," the commissioner said, urging staff to map zones and prospective development before moving forward. The chief said the department and deputy chief already have been discussing where equipment and staffing will be needed as the county adds stations.
Budget staff and the chief said the department plans to continue keeping personnel costs split roughly 50/50 and to allocate equipment and utility costs to the most appropriate service (fire or EMS) rather than splitting every item evenly.
Commissioners asked staff to produce zone‑level call data and to cross‑reference it with known planned developments over the next 18 months before finalizing spending on station construction. Staff said they will provide that analysis for further discussion at the next meeting.
No formal vote or ordinance was taken during the work session; commissioners instructed staff to return with additional zone and development analysis and to hold Station 4 funding decisions pending that information.
The discussion was part of a broader budget workshop in which county finance staff said they would replace several pages in the published packet to correct revenue and expense breakdowns for law enforcement and fire/EMS.
