Making Everyone Pay Sebring Fire Assessment Is A Good Idea

The City of Sebring has chosen the right way to impose its proposed fire assessments. Make groups of property owners pay proportionally to the fire calls they make, and don't exempt anyone.

After the City of Avon Park's harrowing experience to make groups -- initially exempted -- pay their share of the assessment, Sebring has decided that exempting anyone, and later asking for their money, is a bad idea. That's a good policy in making taxation as fair as possible.

Fires do not discriminate, be it a church building, a government office or a home, or a vacant lot. And there's no reason why some property owners should be discriminated against when paying this proposed assessment.

Our hope is that Sebring property owners realize the need for the fire tax, which will possibly go a long way in funding the fire department's activities.

The last thing any resident wants is to have the quality of his or her essential services compromised. There was no saying what kind of cutbacks would have happened had Sebring been forced to depend on general fund money to run its fire department.

Fire Chief Brad Batz has made known that his department operates on a no-frills budget, and any decrease in funding would likely affect services.

By paying the assessment, at least property owners can rest assured that they have provided what they need to to ensure competent fire protection.

Hopefully, despite the new proposed tax, most property owners should see some savings in their tax bill -- from the superexemption to the overall decline in the taxable value of the homes, which should lower their property taxes .