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Has the Fire Commissioners lost their minds …. Double Taxation comes with the new fire fee assessment

May 10, 2019
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What does the ballot question mean to the taxpayers of Lehigh Acres?

FUNDING LEHIGH ACRES FIRE DISTRICT SERVICES, ADMINISTRATION, AND CAPITAL WITH NON-AD VALOREM PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS

As an alternative to ad valorem taxes, may Lehigh Acres Fire District annually levy non-ad valorem assessments beginning fiscal year 2019/2020 to fund fire protection, rescue, emergency medical services, administration, governance and associated capital not exceeding $165 per parcel plus $1.00 per $1,000 of the value of improvements thereon using property appraiser data, together with identified administrative costs and statutory discounts, with increases limited by growth in Florida personal income over the previous 5 years?

Let’s break it down:

  • ad valorem taxes, may Lehigh Acres Fire District annually levy non-ad valorem assessments beginning fiscal year 2019/2020

It means the fire board what to use your money starting next fiscal year 2019/2020

  •  not exceeding $165 per parcel

Every parcel in Lehigh Acres Fire District with or without improvements pays this dollars amount. Period

  • plus $1.00 per $1,000 of the value of improvements thereon using property appraiser data

The number for each for property that has an improvement is NOT currently available on the Lee County Property appraiser’s website. (How can someone vote for something if the numbers are NOT available)

It also means when the property appraiser raises this number your fire tax will go up. According to the property appraisers office this number has increased for the past four years.

  •  with increases limited by growth in Florida personal income over the previous 5 years

These numbers are NOT readily available either …. But it’s a 5 year average

2014 is 4.82, 2015 is 4.89, 2016 is .58 2017 is 1.44 2018 is 1.53 == 2019 5 year Avg is 2.65%

As you see if you vote YES for the new fire fee TAX — your taxes will go up every single without any notices to the property owners or the voters of Lehigh Acres.

One thought on “Has the Fire Commissioners lost their minds …. Double Taxation comes with the new fire fee assessment”

  1. There are a lot of “strange” things with this special election:
    1) Why couldn’t they wait until the next election in March 2020 and spending $100,000 + tax payer’s money
    for this special election?
    2) Why does the language start with “As an alternative ….may annually levy non-ad valorem assessments
    beginning fiscal year 2020”. We currently have non-ad valorem assessment! Further down they explain to
    charge in addition to a fixed amount a 0.1% of “improvements”, which means ad valorem of the taxable
    property appraisers assessment.
    3) The fixed amount they want to charge for undeveloped lots will increase more than 600% (from $25 to
    $165 per fiscal year). With currently 80,000 to 90,000 empty lots in Lehigh they rake in additionally more
    than 10 M$ every year from now on! And the trick to get that thru the election is: They know that the
    majority of owners of these empty lots don’t live here and therefor don’t have a vote!
    4) The local voters which have a lot with a house will pay the same as before or even less. With that
    statement they are sure they get the necessary numbers of “YES” votes. So, it’s a done deal!

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