On September 30, 2014 at 5:00 pm at Fire Station 104 on Sunshine Blvd a coalition of not for Profits, Churches and voters will be presenting a resolution to the fire board; for the board to consider the following: “Should the voters approve the referendum on November 4, 2014 the Board of Commissioners of the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District would agree that all individuals and organizations, who are presently or who may qualify to be exempt from paying ad valorem taxes shall be exempt from paying any new assessment fee or tax to the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District as a result of the outcome of this election.”
Renee Watters Chief of Public Information of the Florida Department of Revenue said by email, “Local governments are solely responsible for levying non-ad valorem assessments, including determining the rate of the assessments and any exemptions from the assessments.”
The coalition leadership hopes the Board of Commissioners of the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District will pass this resolution and end this issue.
We are going to vote it down
Open your eyes people. Are you really that cheap? Only reason we have the service we have now is because of a federal grant. It’s disgusting how blind and naive many of you are. The sad part about it is going to be it’s going to tKs more deaths to realize what we have now.
If my memory is correct the chief said he was going to get rid of half of the fire fighters even if the assessment passed.So what is your problem ?
No Money until they start collecting the assessment……..
Lehigh Acres Web Team
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Since you refuse to use your “Real Name” your comment has been deleted
I commend the coalition group in requesting the Fire Board to do the right thing. This is nearly what I proposed two months ago and the Board rejected any input from any special committees. Especially noted was the “nay” vote from my opponent Commissioner Danis. It puzzles me why she doesn’t even want to address any valid requests from the voters to entertain alternate budget support methods but instead decides to raise every ones taxes from 70% to 90% and take away exemptions from our Community Veterans and Seniors who have fixed incomes and would possibly force them to become homeless or skip medication. This is all due primarily to their inability to tighten their belts 4 years ago when they realized a shortfall of funding.
Political Advertisement paid for and approved by Matt Smith, for Lehigh Acres FIRE COMMISSION/SEAT 5
Vote down the assessment
I suggest they all take a pay cut to the median wage for 50% of Americans according to the Social Security Administration.($27,520)
Considering 1/3 of all American households live “hand to mouth” meaning they spend all of their paychecks every week, and 20% of American households have nobody working in it, and the employment to population ratio has been below 59% for more than 4 years, which would mean 41% of all working age Americans do not have a job, and 1 out of every 6 men in their prime working years (25-54) currently do not have a job, you would have plenty of people clamoring to become firefighters!! Me being one of them. 52% of hoomeowners now cannot even afford the house they are currently in, so how are they supposed to afford even more money out of their pocket and their kids mouths? I use to work for a private nonprofit ambulance company getting paid $8.25 an hour as an EMT. Paramedics started at $13.25 an hour. I worked full time while in college (2005) and finally quit about 2 1/2 years later making $9.25 an hour (2007).
So, I’ll be happy to take some firefighting job for $27520 and so would a lot of other people. I have plenty more to add, but I’ll just go to the meeting tonight! 😉
2011 Cape Coral starting salary $46,874. 18k calls per year with 10 stations. 1800 calls per year per station
Lehigh starting salary $43k
11k calls per year with 5 stations over 2000 calls per station per year
You want to pay the busiest district per station in the county almost half of the next busiest department?
You got it. Its a public service. Its not supposed to be lucrative. But they will leave to other departments right? And if so, so be it. I heard not many live in Lehigh anyways….not sure if that’s true or not. Doubtful if over 100 positions are open in the area anyways. Again, many men and women are unemployed right now and that was my point. Their would be plenty of people to fill their spot for $27520 as half of America makes that much or less per year and survives! Again, I made $9.25 per hour when I quit EMS, and the company I worked for never had a shortage of employees or of finding people wanting to work, and this was pre-2008.
wondering why you quit? could it have been the $9.25 an hour?
Actually, no.
I ended up moving back home.
The budget this year is $12,364,046
If you divide that by 108 it comes out to $114,481
per year.
Mike,
Charles doesn’t like that!! Stop it!
Not sure how true your figure is…..but I did catch a Lehigh Acres fire vehicle at mugs and jugs 2 Saturdays ago….appeared to be eating dinner for over 2 hours with a couple. I went by at 5 minutes to 10pm, and went home, came back and went into the bar to see him apparently on the clock (had radio and uniform on) and did not leave the bar till 12:10am in the fire departments vehicle. I have pictures and video.
I got the figures from the newspaper notice of the new budget