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Commissioners approve expansion of fire district into part of Nokomis after heated public hearing
Summary
The Sarasota County Commission voted 3–2 to adopt Ordinance 2024-068 expanding the county's Fire Rescue District to include a portion of Nokomis, a change staff says will align statutory responsibility and spread impact fees; Nokomis residents and volunteer leaders urged delay, saying the move risks volunteer operations and will raise local costs.
The Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 21 adopted an ordinance to expand the Sarasota County Fire Rescue District to include a portion of the Nokomis area, a measure county staff said is needed to ensure statutory responsibility and funding equity for future growth.
Rich Collins, Sarasota County's emergency services director, told the board the proposal responds to three staff concerns: the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department operates as a 501(c)(4) without agreements that clearly define responsibilities, the county is subsidizing services in the area, and new construction east of Interstate 75 has not been paying fire impact fees because it falls outside the assessment district. "Today we are here to talk about the proposed inclusion of the Nokomis area into the Sarasota County fire and rescue district," Collins said during the public hearing.
Why it matters: Staff said bringing part of Nokomis into the county's assessment district would capture an estimated $2,000,000 in non-ad valorem assessments across roughly 6,127 parcels and allow fees and impact…
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