Comments on: Escambia County Won’t Raise Fire Fee, Property Tax Or Sales Tax To Increase Fire Services Funding

By: CJ Lewis

CJ Lewis — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 01:51:11 +0000

How about getting and posting here the Escambia County Fire-Rescue Division report for the last year, 2021. Let’s see how many fires they responded to. And let’s see how many EMS calls they responded too. How often does Fire-Rescue show up at an EMS call then Escambia County Emergency Medical Services Division also shows up? Maybe we just need more EMS ambulances. How often does Fire-Rescue go into the city limit? How often does the Pensacola Fire Department go out into the county? Maybe we need a single, consolidated fire department with EMS the responsibility of a robust EMS department able to respond quicker.

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 18:19:07 +0000

@Joe — every property owner pays the MSBU for fire services.

Every rental unit pays the same amount as a homeowner – $125.33. The landlords of a rental property passes the cost onto tenants as part of their monthly rent.

Evey business pays a set fee and a sliding scale cost based on square footage.

I pay $15.12 for each of quarter-acre vacant parcels. The owner of the 3+ acres of vacant land next door to me also pays the same $15.12.

By: Truth

Truth — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 16:22:03 +0000

@Joe

Yes and no. Yes residents pay a majority of fire funding through the MSBU. Businesses and vacant property also pays a portion of the MSBU. Everyone residents and visitors pay through the LOST. The LOST pays for capital equipment such as but not limited to fire stations, fire trucks, etc.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 15:08:40 +0000

Is fire protection paid for in Escambia only by home owners

By: Pay more taxes than you

Pay more taxes than you — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 14:38:01 +0000

As they shouldn’t

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 13:46:21 +0000

Does it seem to anyone else as if we’re constantly told we MUST raise this tax or that tax, but then when they finally get the push-back and don’t raise the tax, magically they find the money somewhere else?

And though the taxes may not have been raised, anyone wanna bet the property tax assessments will go up (resulting in an increase in property taxes) over the next few years?

By: fisherman

fisherman — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 11:48:28 +0000

When I posted on a prior story I couldn’t understand why the BCC wanted to raise the fee or taxes if they knew they were getting a extra 19 million in revenue. This was the only decision they could have come up with for once they did something correct. Wait till next year the increase will happen.

By: Grandma

Grandma — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 11:47:23 +0000

Jason. that is exactly correct. Thank you for explaining it clearly. When the representatives of the people (tax payers included) cut fat from the budget and tighten the fiscal belt, then they will truly be representing the tax payer. In my opinion our great Governor has set that example. It can be done. The BCC just needs to go to work on our behalf and “get ‘er done”!!!

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 11:20:41 +0000

Rob Peter, pay Paul. Escambia County financiers will never change. When property values decrease from historic and inflated highs we will be right back to a lack of funding.

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 06:02:31 +0000

The BCC may not be increasing the millage rate, but they are INCREASING Property Taxes. Otherwise the BCC would need to “roll-back” or reduce the current millage rate so they didnt collect more taxes from taxpayers than they did the prior fiscal year — as previously documented by NorthEscambia on 10/6/21 while describing the budget fiasco that had occurred in Century and their failure to properly advertise the tax increase.

The rolled-back rate is the tax rate that would generate the same amount of property tax revenue as approved for the prior year. Anything greater than the rolled-back rate is a tax increase.

So our County Commissioners may tell everyone they arent increasing taxes, but even they dont believe that line and neither should taxpayers.