The West Manatee Fire Rescue District’s budget for fiscal 2024-25 is a vote away from adoption.
Chief Ben Rigney presented the proposed $12,543,363.25 budget during an Aug. 20 first reading that did not require a vote from the commission.
The district’s upcoming fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
The proposed budget for fiscal 2024-25 is about 15% larger than this year’s $10,902,730.54 amended budget, which was already about a million dollars less than it was initially budgeted to be.
A big part of that change on the revenue side of things is a proposed $1,662,899.47 increase in revenue from tax receipts due to a 7% across the board fire assessment rate hike.
WMFR’s current rates include a $219.94 residential base rate and a $0.1247 additional charge for every square foot more than 1,000, as well as a $546.61 commercial base rate with a $0.2367 additional charge per square foot more than $1,000.
With the current rates, residential property owners pay $344.64 for a 2,000-square-foot home and $469.34 for a 3,000-square-foot home.
Commercial property owners, including transient public lodging establishments, pay $783.31 for a 2,000-square foot building and $1,020.01 for a 3,000-square-foot building under the current rates.
The district’s proposed rates for fiscal 2024-25 include a $236.22 residential base rate and a $0.1393 additional charge for every square foot more than 1,000, and a $587.06 commercial base rate with a $0.2542 additional charge per square foot more than 1,000.
Under the new rates, residential property owners will pay $375.52 for a 2,000-square-foot home and $514.82 for a 3,000-square-foot home.
Commercial property owners will pay $841.26 for a 2,000-square-foot building and $1,095.46 for a 3,000-square-foot building.
That rate hike will come a year after the district raised rates by 4% and began assessing short-term rentals under its commercial rates instead of residential rates.
On the expenses side of things, the proposed budget features nearly across the board cost increases — most notably for personnel services.
The district budgeted for a proposed $1,388,555.84 increase in personnel services expenses.
That hike includes a $562,495.68 increase in salaries, a $525,628.52 increase in health insurance and a $261,570.69 in the cost of pensions.
The district also budgeted for a $53,033 increase in general property and vehicle insurance, at least partly due to WMFR’s new digs.
Rigney announced that the district had obtained a small collection of old U.S. military equipment through the Florida Forest Service to use for emergency operations.
That equipment includes four high-water vehicles, with three 2.5-ton trucks and one 5-ton truck, two generator-powered light towers and a pair of large tents to provide operating space during emergencies.
The equipment is loaned to WMFR through the FFS, so there is no purchase price. The only costs the equipment adds to the district’s budget are for maintenance and insurance.
In return, the district must maintain the equipment’s serviceability and repaint any equipment with military colors.
Rigney said the equipment would provide the district with new ways to handle emergency operations like Tropical Storm Debby, which resulted in rescue efforts.
There was no public comment.
The fire commission will hold a second reading and potentially final public hearing for the budget ordinance at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, at WMFR’s administrative headquarters, 701 63rd St. W., Bradenton.
Directions to attend via Zoom can be found on the district’s website, wmfr.org.
Breaking down fire rates…
Category 2023-24 base rate 2023-24 sq. ft. rate 2024-25 proposed base rate 2024-25 sq. ft. rate
Residential $219.94 $0.1247 $236.22 $0.1393
Commercial $546.61 $0.2367 $587.06 $0.2542
Property assessment increases…
Residential Commercial
1,000 sf: $16.28 1,000 sf: $40.45
2,000 sf: $30.88 5,000 sf: $110.45
3,000 sf: $45.48 10,000 sf: $197.95
Vacant lot: $2.15
— Ryan Paice