Comment Up
FIRE RESCUE ASSESSMENT
What Is It?
It is a special assessment levied since 2001 on the annual tax notice that equitably allocates less than 50% of the cost of the City’s eligible fire rescue services among all residential and non-residential property in the City that the Fire Rescue Department protects. All such properties are found to be specially benefited by the provision of the fire rescue services.
How Much Is The Assessment?
That depends on property use.
For residential property, the proposed annual rate is $88.00 per dwelling unit or $7.33 per month.
For non-residential property, the proposed annual rate is calculated on a square foot basis according to the following use categories:
Use Categories Rate Per Square Foot
Commercial $ 0.20
Industrial/Warehouse $ 0.05
Institutional/Nursing Home $ 0.22
What Is The Total Fire Assessment Revenue The City Receives?
For the coming fiscal year 2011-12, the City estimates it will receive a net amount of about $4.7 million based on the above rates.
Why Isn’t The Fire Assessment Just Included In The Property Tax Rate?
There are two reasons.
First, it would require an increase of about 1.5 mills on the ad valorem tax rate. A homeowner with even a $100,000 taxable value on their home would experience a $150 added property tax versus the $88 noted above.
Second, there are large numbers of homes that pay no property taxes, yet they are still protected by fire rescue services. With the fire assessment, those residential properties share equally in paying for those services. Sound familiar?
What If Some Taxpayers Can’t Afford The Assessment?
If the fire assessment is a hardship on certain residential property owners in the City, affected property owners may request a total or partial waiver of the special assessment for hardship reasons.
Tax increase is a tax increase-no matter how you want to justify and spin it. The taxpayers of Lake Worth are already being taxed to the max! Get your damned bony fingers out of our pockets!
ReplyDeleteWith increase of public incomes tax levy also increased.
ReplyDeleteSample Assessments
$7.33 per month.is quite expensive.
ReplyDeleteSample Assessments
.........$7.33 per month.is quite expensive........
ReplyDelete$7.33 equals
1) A pack of cigarettes
2) A quarter pounder meal
3) A six pack of beer
4) 1/10th cost of monthly cablevision
5) 1/3 of the cost of monthly homeowners insurance
6) 1 1/2 gallons of gas
And the list goes on and on and on
The cost of fire protection, when put in perspective, is minimal.
Commissioner Marlene Ross submitted the information to this blog after further delving into it. These are apparently the new rates for the upcoming budget.
ReplyDelete