Nagging questions about Sumter County fire assessment fee

I listened to the entire BOCC (Board Of County Commissioners) Aug. 22 meeting.

The effect of the new taxing methodology on low-income homeowners and businesses (especially those operating on low margins) led the BOCC to vote not to approve the new taxing method for the operating revenue for the two fire departments. That vote has a major impact on each fire department’s service to their respective areas.

If the planned taxing methodology is not implemented, there will be a major reduction of services provided by both fire departments, especially the county fire department.  An over-simplified solution might appear to be to raise the ad valorem county millage rate to cover the two fire departments operating expenses; however, this obvious path should have been taken months ago.

At the Aug. 22 meeting, our county administrator told the BOCC that the processes controlled by state law would make that impossible for the upcoming fiscal year.

The questions that were not asked were:

• Why didn’t the study report contain any information about the impact on businesses and low-income homeowners? Our property tax dollars paid for the study.

• What experience did other Florida local governments have applying the new methodology recommended in the report?  Why wasn’t a summary of that experience included in the report?

• Did our long-term county administrator ask the right questions before Aug. 22?

John Kastura is a resident of The Villages.