In Your Corner

Last September our members and other taxpayers successfully rallied against a Storm Water Assessment fee proposed by the County. We also pointed out that if that method of funding proved successful there was a Fire Service Assessment already under consideration. We thought the overwhelming turnout against the fee had settled the issue for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately this does not appear to be the case.

At the bottom of the official notices in the December 1 st Stuart News was information that the Commission will again “consider the adoption of a resolution electing to use the uniform method of collection such as assessments … at a public hearing to be held on December15, 2009 …” Included was “Storm Water utilities” and “Fire Rescue services and facilities” for all of unincorporated Martin County. This will not institute the new fees, but will allow them to be instituted next year by Commission approval.

The assessment fee is touted as a way to achieve fairness but, in reality, is to address the alleged need for more County revenue. Property values in Martin County have dramatically declined and the latest estimates indicate that the 2011 Ad Valorem tax (which is based of January 2010 property evaluations) will be down another 10 percent. All other tax revenues (sales tax, fuel tax, etc) are also down. Combined with the voter approved Constitutional Amendment limiting property tax increases, this severely restricts the Commission’s ability to generate additional revenue. Since these assessments are fees, not legally a tax, it avoids the State restrictions.

As we stated in September, we were against the Storm Water Assessment fee for three reasons. It was not fair to residents that maintain their own storm water systems through owner associations; it allowed for a 20% increase in the department’s budget and we saw it as a precursor to an even larger fee for Fire Service.

The Fire/Rescue Service has hired a consultant and briefed a plan to the Commission last summer that recommended moving the Fire Service (Rescue Services cannot legally be fee based) to an assessment. Since Martin County has multi-tasked our Fire/EMS personnel and use ambulances as well as fire equipment for Rescue response, the cost is difficult to separate. Their consultant performed a three-year look-back and believes the data supports assessing 60% of the total Fire/Rescue budget as a Fire Service fee – even though there is at least a 10 to1 ratio of ambulance to fire responses.

The bottom line is that currently about 95% of the Fire/EMS operating budget is going for personnel costs and there is a 5% + COLA pay increase in the IAFF contract for 2011. Paying the excessive salaries and benefits (91 firemen made over $100,000 – 53 of them over $120,000 and 13 were over $150,000 last year) is severely restricting funds for every other County service. We estimate changing to a fee could result in the total Fire/Rescue Service budget rising from today’s $38 million to well over $50 million in 2011.

Changing ANY property taxes to assessments makes veterans, churches and all other tax reduced/exempt organizations fully subject to these fees unless specifically exempted. Also, the IRS will not allow assessments/fees to be deducted from the federal income tax - two more ways our residents will lose on these schemes.

What can be done? The answer is simple. Let your Commissioners know reduced revenues should equal reduced spending, not creative new ways to “tax” those already struggling in this economy. Immediately flood Commissioners with e-mails ( Commissioners@martin.fl.us) and attend the December 15 meeting en mass. Additional contact information is available at http://www.martin.fl.us.