Palm Beach County Fire Rescue officials told the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council on Dec. 2 they are asking municipalities to support proposed legislation that would protect Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) revenue when municipalities annex territory. Amanda Bommero, district chief with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, and Chief Pat Kennedy described examples in which new stations and equipment represented multi‑million‑dollar investments in service areas that could be split by annexation and leave the county with a diminished tax base.

Bommero said the bill would not bar annexation but would allow county and municipal leaders to negotiate who provides fire-rescue service after annexation and would preserve revenue for the county MSTU so service levels and staffing could be maintained. She cited two station examples and warned that losing revenue from annexation could force service reductions: “When Station 21, who predominantly serves Loxahatchee Groves, if they're at training, if they're out on another call, you are never without coverage,” she said, emphasizing the county-wide mutual coverage system.

Council discussed fiscal consequences and whether the bill would shift costs to smaller municipalities; staff confirmed a resolution supporting Fire Rescue’s legislative request was on the consent agenda. The council pulled the resolution from consent, voted to consider it immediately and approved it by voice vote; the meeting record shows the action passed 5 to 0. Fire Rescue thanked the council for the support.

What it means: The town formally recorded support for the county request to pursue statutory protections intended to prevent annexations from eroding the county MSTU tax base used to fund fire‑rescue staffing and stations in unincorporated and small municipal areas.