Guest AuthorThe recent budgetary restraints the Lee County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) have endured are putting stress on some of the even necessary services, such as public transportation while attempting to not raise taxes.
The BOCC has gone to lengths of increasing utility fees and even eliminating their state lobbying budget to save money, but it is outside of their budget where the real long-term solution remains.
The Problem
According to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), Lee County contains sixteen (16) Independent Fire Districts, each with their own Ad Valorem taxing authority and elected board of three (3) to five (5) Commissioners.
Each of these Independent Special Districts, as the State of Florida classifies them, can set their own millage rates and act mostly separate from each other while a mix of complicated inter-local agreements facilitate inter-department communication and action.
This form of ‘Fire Control and Rescue’ was originally established in Lee County beginning in the 1950’s and continued its build-up until the 1970’s, as a means to provide for a fundamental government service outside of generally governed population centers. The only Fire District in Lee County created after 1976 was Upper Capitva in 1989.
The United States Census Bureau records Lee Counties population increase from 1980 (205,266) to 2010 (645,293) as an increase of 214.4%, during which time the City of Bonita Springs and Town of Fort Myers Beach were also incorporated.
Comparing Lee County from the 1970’s to present day, it’s obvious that we have changed much during that time especially in population, putting the purpose of this once effective form of government service well out-of-date.
In full scope, there are only thirty-four (34) Fire Control and Rescue Districts outside of Lee and Collier Counties in the entire state of Florida, mainly in minimally populated rural and agricultural areas. The bi-county Southwest Florida area contains twenty-one (21) Fire Districts with the Cities of Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Naples maintain municipal based fire departments.
The Solution
The solution is simple, ask Lee County’s Legislative Delegation to draft a local bill that would merge all of sixteen (16) fire districts into one county-based ‘Dependent Fire District, with the BOCC serving as its board. From here, the needed steps to streamline services can be taken carefully and overtime.
While keeping complicated financial figures separate from this editorial, the subsequent consolidation and integration of services could save county taxpayers millions of dollars a year by removing redundancies and organizing a more efficient county emergency system.
There will of course be detractors who would not agree with this plan, however, it is also important to point out Palm Beach County and Sarasota County accomplished very similar consolidations in the 1980’s with the backing of both its firefighters and citizens.
Ultimately, this action will not only save Lee County from future budget crunches, but will provide a more fluid system of government that can best improve our quality of life.
One comment
Brian R Juntikka
October 5, 2013 at 10:43 pm
Joseph Russo obviously hasn’t done his homework on this subject. I have, and I published my findings in a series of reports which even the Florida Senate has used in recent years when considering legislation dealing with independent special districts.
It is: http://www.sancarlosfire.org/FireConsolidationRealitiesReport-SixthEdition.pdf
First, the county controlled fire empire Mr Russo proposes is a concept overwhelmingly rejected by the people in Lee County by referendum vote. Our local legislators fully understand this and will not permit a bill to abolish independent fire districts in favor of a county controlled operation.
Secondly, His claim that this concept was embraced by the people of Palm Beach County and Sarasota County is totally false. The proposal to abolish fire districts did not come to a public referendum vote in either county.
Today, Palm Beach County taxpayers enjoy the highest fire tax millage rate of any urbanized area in the state – plus the most expensive fire department – per station – in this state. Not long ago, Palm Beach County commissioners considered an additional one penny sales tax – to help fund their countywide fire department.
Finally, unlike Mr Russo, I live and pay taxes here in Lee County. My tax bill shows that I am paying for only fire department – and not many redundant fire departments. I fully understand the frustrations of fellows like Russo. For the empire builders – it is abhorrant that local voters and taxpayers would control their own tax funds and services as we do here in Lee County. But this is the local government our citizens have chosen for themselves and this is the way it is going to stay until something that is indeed cheaper and better comes along. I’ll be watching.
Brian R. Juntikka
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