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Winter Haven approves scope to study fire-assessment fees; consultants outline options and timeline
Summary
The commission approved a scope of work to study a possible non-ad valorem fire-assessment fee, asking consultants to compare call-for-service and availability methods and to return with modeled outcomes; staff said notices and statutory requirements would apply and the earliest potential revenue timing would be on November 2027 tax rolls.
City staff presented a two-phase scope to analyze whether Winter Haven should implement a fire-assessment fee and, if so, how it should be calculated and collected. The study will examine recoverable costs under state law, compare a call-for-service approach with an availability (value-based) method, and produce a dynamic model to show outcomes for different classes of property.
Joe Williams, consulting lead for Raftelis (consultants the city engaged earlier), said phase 1 would explore methodologies and present sample property impacts; phase 2 — only initiated if the commission chooses implementation — would update the analysis, prepare ordinances/resolutions and handle required mailed notice to property owners. Williams said the intent was to have any assessment appear on the November 2027 tax bills if the commission chose to implement a program. "The intent is to have a fire assessment generating revenue on the November 2027 tax bills," Williams said.
Commission discussion covered which properties would be included (all parcels inside corporate limits by default), whether nonprofits could be exempted (possible, but revenue would need to be made up by other sources), treatment of vacant lots, collection via the non-ad valorem assessment roll (which allows lien/foreclosure methods) and statutory notice requirements (including notice of intent under Florida statute §197.3632). The commission approved the consultant scope of work to proceed; staff and consultants will return with modeled fee options, sample bill impacts and recommended notice/implementation steps.
Why it matters: Passage would not itself set a fee but funds a study that could lead to a city-wide assessment intended to recover a portion of fire-department costs — a step with potential budgetary consequences tied to the state constitutional Amendment 3 vote and local tax policy.
