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Auburndale Commission asks staff to study fire assessment as way to shore up funding
Summary
Officials agreed to pursue data on a non-ad valorem fire assessment after staff outlined how such an assessment could recover fire-service costs and apply to parcels that pay little or no ad valorem tax; staff will model options and comparative charges used by nearby cities.
City Attorney Frederick J. Murphy Jr. explained how a fire assessment could work and its legal basis in the context of local fee authority. "The fire assessment is a fire availability fee assessed on real property," Murphy said as he described the mechanism and a likely consultant role to develop methodology.
Murphy and City Manager Jeffrey Brown told the Commission that a properly developed non-ad valorem fire assessment "would apply to properties that currently pay little or no ad valorem tax, including exempt properties," which could, depending on study results, free general-fund dollars for other needs. Commissioners asked about billing mechanics, which municipalities in Polk County use assessments, and recovery rates; staff noted some benchmarking would be required and that specific Bartow assessment amounts were not available without further research.
There was consensus to direct staff to look at a fire assessment and produce data on potential revenue, the billing methodology, and comparisons to neighboring jurisdictions. The Commission did not enact an assessment at the meeting; staff were asked to return with a formal study and recommended next steps.
