An assessment rate increase is coming for property owners in the West Manatee Fire Rescue district.
Commissioners voted 4-1, with Commissioner Al Robinson dissenting, to approve Chief Tom Sousa’s recommendation to raise assessment rates for the 2016-17 fiscal year by 2.25 percent.
The approval for the assessment increase came before a presentation on the spending plan for the 2016-17 budget, which will be presented at a later date.
The district budgeted $6.6 million in revenue for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, 2015. That current budget calls for $5.9 million, with an additional $410,000 in debt services.
The assessment increase, which will add a median amount of $7.70 to residential assessment rates, is estimated to bring in an additional $120,000 to the district. The funds go toward adding three firefighters, achieving advanced lifesaving status and building reserves.
“There’s a clear objective for the dollars,” Commissioner David Bishop said. “They’re going to be earmarked for things that benefit the citizens.”
Sousa said the reserves include $2.1 million in case of a major disaster — enough funds to operate the district for three to four months without receiving additional revenue.
“We can’t bleed our reserves down until we have nothing left to operate,” Sousa said, adding the reserve amount would be $3.8 million by January 2017.
“I think we’re being greedy for $120,000,” Robinson said. “Why do we want to do this to the taxpayers?”
“As a fiscal conservative, raising taxes is not an easy decision,” said Commissioner George Harris. “This administration and board have worked very hard to be good stewards with the public funds that we collect. As such, we can’t run a responsible department on the cheap.”
Commissioner Randy Cooper said the district is in a unique position, having refrained from replacing two administrative employees in favor of hiring additional firefighters.
“I think we’re being prudent and it’s a wise expenditure,” he said of using part of the $120,000 increase in revenue to pay for additional firefighters.
Commissioners will next meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 16, at the administration building, 6417 Third Ave. W., Bradenton.
— Kristin Swain