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Highlands Today

AP Church Fire Tax Goes Up, So Does City Deficit

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By DOUG CARMAN

Highlands Today

Published: August 27, 2008

AVON PARK - The Avon Park City Council decided it would take more money from churches and non-profit groups to support the fire department, but the extra revenue wouldn't make up for a $74,000 budget deficit the city has just discovered.

The shortfall weighed on council members' minds as they voted 4-1 to increase the fire assessment rates by 25 percent. After the vote, the council considered raising everything from Dumpster rental fees to sewer rates to compensate for the deficit, which was reported after the state lowered its estimated sales tax revenues.

The annual fire assessment for homeowners will remain at $165. Commercial and nursing home rates vary according to the size of the buildings, but those rates were also unchanged.

Mayor Sharon Schuler, one of the four who favored the higher fees, complained that the voters were "expecting a lot from the little (they) pay" and that the city was running out of places to cut its budget.

"There's just tons of things that everyone expects... Amendment 1 passed and you got your deductions in your property taxes, which hurts the city a lot," she said.
Councilwoman Brenda Gray agreed. "It really hurts me to have to assess our church, but like the mayor and Councilman (Joe) Wright just said, we have to get the money from somewhere," she said.

Al Joe Hinson cast the dissenting vote, arguing that the churches could not afford the higher fees. He later suggested that the city could find more fat to trim from the budget before it had to start laying off employees or raising taxes and water bills.

Two residents came to the council to object. Paul Miller, who ran an unsuccessful city council campaign last year, told the council that the churches use their money to take care of people and provide free food and healthcare.

"I truly believe that this fire assessment is something that shouldn't be," he said.

The increased fees will cover only about $22,000 of the $74,000 budget shortfall, which was revealed in a report given to the city Friday.

Wright mentioned that the city collected $1.6 million in property taxes last year, which was not enough to cover the police department, let alone the rest of the city's expenses.

"I'm not sure the city has done as good a job communicating a need for this fire assessment," Wright said.

To make up for it, Councilman George Hall thought the council members should forfeit their salaries and try to convert other offices to volunteer positions. He also suggested laying off one of the three code enforcement officers.

Hinson didn't think the city should lay anyone off. "We need to look in-house and see what we don't need," he said.

"We sat here for a whole day and talked about what we had in-house," Hall retorted.

Doug Carman can be reached at 386-5838 or dcarman@highlandstoday.com

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