It's Your Money

As you read this on July 9 th there will be a Martin County Board of Commissioners Workshop Meeting later today discussing the possibility of changing the way that our County Fire/Rescue Service will be funded in the future. This non-televised event will be held at 2:30 in the County Administration Building’s 4 th floor conference room. We do not want to prejudge the information, discussions or decisions that might result. However, there is the history of previous Commission indulgence toward the Fire/Rescue Service/Union, the existing extraordinary cost of Fire/Rescue as a percentage of the County budget and the current Administration effort to get contract concessions from our County’s Fire/Rescue Union. In light of these circumstances we are extremely suspicious of a meeting only “publicized” just before the long July 4 th holiday weekend. The meeting is also scheduled at the same time a long sought visit by Fire/Rescue management personnel with our Board was cancelled without this “workshop” or agenda being mentioned.

Below is the low key notice that was posted late last week and picked up by an astute Taxpayers’ Association member who sent it to our e-mail/website late Thursday:

MARTIN COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

WORKSHOP MEETING

AGENDA

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Susan L. Valliere, Chairman

Doug Smith, Vice Chairman

Patrick Hayes

Sarah Heard

Edward Ciampi

Taryn Kryzda, Acting County Administrator

Stephen Fry, County Attorney

Marsha Ewing, Clerk to the Board

1. CALL TO ORDER

A. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

2. POLICY DISCUSSIONS

A. PROPOSED SPECIAL ASSESSMENT FOR FIRE PROTECTION SERVICE AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT TO BENEFIT FIRE PROTECTION FOR ALL OF UNINCORPORATED MARTIN COUNTY

Willdan Financial Services and Fire Rescue Staff w ill workshop information on a proposed ad valorem replacement fee for fire protection service s and capital improvement s through the use of a non-ad valorem assessment within unincorporated Martin County. This source of revenue will provide a County wide “fair share” funding source for Fire Protection Services and Fire Rescue Capital Improvements to benefit all of unincorporated Martin County.  The proposed revenue source would replace ad valorem and result in a millage decrease. The presentation will cover various options for consideration and an implementation strategy.

 3. ADJOURN

What will be proposed is probably a valid option for funding our Fire/Rescue Service and very similar to techniques that are being used by a number of other Florida Counties. Unfortunately, it could very easily be an attempt by our elected officials to avoid the politically negative annual budget busting by the Fire/Rescue Service that will probably become much worse in the near future. The Commission is between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Over the last ten years or so they gave the politically powerful Fire/Rescue union excessive raises, relinquished management controls and awarded unwarranted benefits. Earlier this year, in order to limit excessive overtime costs (that were largely caused by decisions such as granting overtime to highly compensated management personnel) the Commission allowed the Fire/Rescue Service to add 9 new trainees. Before these personnel were even trained the Commission swiftly accepted a Federal Grant tied to add yet another 33 trainees. Unfortunately, this grant does not include training costs, is only 90% for the first year and rapidly decreases each year to $0 at the end of the 4 th year. And, by the way, the County has to repay the total grant if they decide we cannot afford or do not need them and have to reduce Fire/Rescue personnel in the future. This is a total of a 15% increase in Fire/Rescue personnel at a time when the County population is decreasing, there is a $20 million shortfall in the County budget and all other County departments are cutting personnel.

We certainly hope that the press, our Taxpayers’ Association membership and all Martin County voters will follow this issue and make our elected officials aware that they are doing so. Whatever the merits of this approach, it should only be adopted after due consideration at a normal televised Commission Meeting. Timing for such a change in funding (if deemed appropriate) should be along with consideration of a possible consolidation of the Stuart and MC Fire/Rescue Services. A number of the problems that precluded such action this year will be obviated when the current long term Fire/Rescue agreements with Jupiter Island and Sewall’s Point expire next year.