Lake Worth takes first step toward $60 home assessment to pay for firefighter pensions
August 27, 2011 by Jack Collie · Leave a Comment
Commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday, with Commissioner Scott Maxwell dissenting, to take the first step in levying a fire assessment for the budget year that begins Oct. 1.
As proposed, the city’s annual fire assessment would be $60 per residential unit, 13 cents per square foot for commercial buildings, 2 cents per square foot for industrial or warehouse buildings and 9 cents per square foot for institutional buildings.
Notices showing the amount owed will be mailed to each affected property owner on Sept. 1. A public hearing on the assessment is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at city hall. The commission is expected to vote on the fire assessment following the public hearing.
Maxwell said he voted against the assessment Tuesday because he wants to see the city’s property tax levy drop by an amount equal to the assessment. The city’s proposed tax rate for the upcoming budget year is $5.49 per $1,000 taxable value, up from $5.39 this year.
If the fire assessment is approved as proposed, the city plans to use most of the $1.4 million raised to cover part of the cost of firefighter pensions, which cost the city $1.8 million this year. Some of the money would be used to pay for fire hydrant maintenance.
The city is still negotiating with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue in hopes of eliminating the annual supplement, including $900,000 due for the coming budget year, that the city pays for fire and rescue service.
The supplement is the amount the city pays to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue in addition to the $3.46 per $1,000 taxable value the county levies on Lake Worth property owners for fire and rescue service.
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