West Manatee Fire Rescue district commissioners voted unanimously and with little fanfare to approve its annual tax assessments and a $9.6 million budget at their final public hearing Sept. 9.
“We deliberated enough,” said Commissioner Larry Jennis after the first hearing to certify the tax rolls for the Manatee County Property Appraiser.
Commission Chair David Bishop said, “I would agree.”
Property tax notices will be mailed to owners Nov. 1.
At the second public hearing the same day, commissioners approved the district’s 2019-20 budget of $9,646,234. The fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
Battalion Chief Ben Rigney — soon to be chief — said there had been no changes since the budget presentation in August.
In an Aug. 20 budget report, Rigney said the district continues to experience “slow growth in regard to residential development” and projected a less than 1 percent increase in revenue.
No public comment was made at either hearing.
The 4-0 vote, with Commissioner Randy Cooper absent, finalized the district’s 2019-20 assessment hike, approved in May for parcels in the district — 1.65% for residential and 5% for commercial properties.
The assessments will be spread among 18,027 residential and 581 commercial parcels, including homes and businesses on Anna Maria Island and in unincorporated west Manatee County, including Cortez. Unusable vacant tracts, churches, parsonages, recreational areas, public institutions, military installations, railroads, rivers, lakes, submerged lands and certain properties for people with special needs are exempt from WMFR assessments.
The 2019-20 budget shows $7.32 million in revenue from assessments, $9,500 from grants, $65,000 from interest and $223,067 from reimbursements.
In comparison, the current budget includes $7.12 million from tax assessments, $10,500 from grants and inspection fees, $110,000 in interest and $2.1 million in reimbursements, including the $1.6 million sale of the former administration building.
New in the district’s 2019-20 spending plans include the $650,000 purchase of an engine to replace a 15-year-old truck, $1.1 million to build a new administration building and a $200,000 remodel of the 862-square-foot bunk room at Station 3, 6001 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach.
A new line item was established to fund cancer coverage mandated by the state in light of the occupational hazard tied to firefighting.
At a Sept. 9 workshop, the commissioners spoke to Tampa attorney Laura Donaldson of Manson Bolves Donaldson Varn about a draft policy for the mandated cancer coverage.
A state law effective July 1 requires fire districts to provide firefighters the option of a $25,000 lump sum payout in lieu of workers’ compensation if they are diagnosed with one of 21 types of cancer. The law mandates the coverage for 10 years after retirement or termination, in addition to reimbursements for medical expenses.
With the exception of Commissioner George Harris, the commissioners in attendance said they’d prefer to purchase insurance to cover cancer claims at about $3,000 a year, rather than self-insuring the risk. Harris said he was “an advocate of self-insurance.”
“In my 43 years, I know of three I think would qualify,” Chief Tom Sousa told the board.
The commissioners discussed expanding the coverage to four retired firefighters currently on the district insurance plan and all WMFR employees. Donaldson said the district could chose a broader policy than required by state law.
Rigney said he would provide Donaldson a new draft of the district policy on cancer coverage.
The district employs about 35 full-time firefighters, three inspectors, six paramedics and four administrative personnel, including Rigney, who will replace the retiring Sousa in October. About 20 volunteer firefighters serve in the district reserves.