SerpApi.Org
(The Center Square) – Martin County officials say a proposed statewide property tax amendment could force the closure of three fire stations or the elimination of 116 firefighter positions by 2028.
Martin County’s Emergency Services stands to lose $16.5 million if voters pass the property tax relief proposal in November.
A fiscal impact briefing prepared for the Martin County Board of Commissioners shows emergency services would lose $9.5 million during the first year and an additional $7 million the next year.
To make up for the budget cuts, Fire Rescue will either have to close a total of three stations or fire 116 firefighters.
If Fire Rescue chose to do everything it could to keep all its firefighters, it would not only mean the closure of three stations but it would also end hazmat, dive, and technical rescue, ground its LifeStar critical care air ambulance helicopter, and run other equipment past their service life, according to the brief.
On the other hand, keeping all those services would mean firing 64 firefighters in the first year and another 52 the next year for a total personnel loss of 116 firefighters.
“There is no version of this in which the department stays whole,” the report said.
Martin County Fire Rescue is scheduled to present the fiscal impact brief to commissioners on Tuesday.
The property tax relief proposal will go before voters as Amendment 3. If passed, it will increase the homestead tax exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. It must receive 60% of the vote to pass.
It would save Florida homeowners an estimated $4.6 billion in year one and $8.4 billion in year two, according to legislative staff.
However, it also means local government budgets will be down by that same amount of money and the pushback against Amendment 3 has been growing.
The Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association said in a statement this month that it could not support the amendment.
“Tax relief and reliable emergency services are not mutually exclusive, but both require responsible long-term planning. As currently proposed, Constitutional Amendment No. 3 creates substantial uncertainty regarding the future funding of fire protection, emergency medical services, and disaster response without identifying a sustainable replacement revenue source. Until a comprehensive funding plan is established that preserves local governments’ ability to provide these essential services, the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association cannot support the amendment in its current form,” the statement read.
Florida Professional Firefighters put out a similar statement.
“We believe tax relief and strong public safety can coexist. Unfortunately, this amendment does not provide a clear path to achieving both. Until there is a reliable plan to provide the revenues necessary to support fire protection, EMS, and disaster response, we cannot support a proposal that could jeopardize the services Floridians depend on every day.”
