Sumter County commissioners will begin wrestling next month with a revision to the controversial fire assessment fees.
Another consultant report on the fees, due in May, will offer several potential calculation formulas.
After reviewing the report, commissioners are expected to decide on a method of assessment in time for a public hearing on July 28. It would go into effect for the next fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
Lawsuits are pending that challenge the current method, which set a flat rate for homeowners and fees based on square footage for businesses.
The Villages Public Safety Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services in The Villages while Sumter County Fire and EMS covers the rest of the county.
Assessments and fire property tax rates are different for each department. They are lower for The Villages due to a higher population.
Sumter County homeowners pay an annual fee of $355.58 while the fees for businesses range from two cents to four cents per square foot. Total fees amount to about $12 million.
The county’ s fire property tax is 86 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation and The Villages rate is about a nickel per $1,000 assessed valuation.
County Administrator Bradley Arnold said a reduction in assessment fees would require increasing the fire property tax rate.
Alternative methods for calculating the fees include historical demand, demand-availability and hazard classes.
The third method involves assigning types of businesses to hazard classes based on call data and square footage.
For example, one hazard class would include restaurants and food processing while another would include shopping centers, grocery stores and warehouses.