3Fruitland Park commissioners approved fire assessment fees Thursday night that are slightly below those charged last year.
The city funds its fire department from the fees, which in turn provides protection for the older portions of Fruitland Park. Homes in The Villages portion of the city – the Villages of Pine Ridge and Pine Hills – receive coverage from The Villages Public Safety Department, which also serves the Wildwood, Lady Lake and Sumter and Lake County portions of the mega-retirement community.
Under the new fee structure, residents in the original portion of Fruitland Park will pay $241 per year, which is $15 less than in 2018. The new rate for commercial property is .091 cents per square foot on a maximum of 17,400 square feet, which is a reduction of .006 cents from last year.
Fruitland Park residents living in The Villages will pay $192 annually – $2 less than last year – and that money will go directly to The Villages Public Safety Department, City Manager Gary La Venia said.