Two years after Leon County government chose to defer a City of Tallahassee initiated fire service fee increase, Leon county residents now will begin paying a higher rate during fiscal year 2018 which begins on October 1, 2017.
The increase will be approximately 15% for most residential customers.
Back in 2015, the City of Tallahassee determined that more revenue was needed to provide fire service to city and county residents. The city voted to raise the fees by approximately $6 million or 18.4%. The new rates were projected to generate a total of $38.5 million for fire services.
The City of Tallahassee provides fire service through-out the city and the county. Leon County government contracts with the city to provide the service in the unincorporated area. Before the increase, the annual payment from the county to city was $7.1 million. The new rates increased the annual payment to $8.3 million.
While city residents began paying the higher rate in October 2015, Leon county government decided to defer implementing the fee increase by borrowing money from the Municipal Services Fund to meet the annual payment required by the City of Tallahassee.
The Municipal Services Fund collects revenue from State revenue sharing, the local sales tax, and the Public Services Tax.
After Two Year Discount, County Residents to Pay 15% More in Fire Service Fees added by Staff on
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I hope folks aren’t still under the impression that our local “public servants” are underpaid.
Years ago , when you paid your fire tax fee , you received a metal medallion that was nailed beside front door of your home to show fire fighters when they arrived at your burning house , that your fire protection tax had been paid. They then proceeded to douse the fire. If no medallion on house wall, they left! This way , if you do not want to pay the tax/fee, you do not have too. You are on your own though, in case of a fire .
I’m not so sure about this article; I live in the county and my fire tax (it is a tax increase called “fee”) increased, if I am not wrong, in January 2016. We were paying $25+, but it increased then to $39+ quarterly. So, it’s increasing again………..I would like for them to call it what it is so we can include the amount as a tax and include it as a deduction or credit on our federal income taxes.
There should not be a separate fire service fee. It should be part of the regular tax funds. Just another way to screw the taxpayers.
I think there is a law suit against the city about this Owen vs city of Tallahassee ,,