Business owners to challenge fire fees

A group of area business owners are seeking community support in hiring an attorney to help fight the Brooksville city fire fees they claim are an additional tax in disguise.

Diane Bernick, owner of Broad and Wiscon Self Storage, said she and a handful of business owners are pooling their resources to hire an attorney in hopes that they can convince Brooksville City Council members to forego the recent initiative to pay for fire services through fees.

She hopes other area business leaders and homeowners will join together to not only help cover legal costs for the attorney, but attend the Sept. 8 public hearing about the budget.

"No one person can fight City Hall," Bernick said. "But the more people that show up at the meeting, the more likely that the council will realize this is a serious situation."

She said that she and three others are already looking to retain the attorney, but added that others who are interested in being represented are urged to contribute to alleviate the cost for everyone.

Fire fees were approved by council members this summer to alleviate paying for fire services from the general fund by supplying an estimated $649,479 - 40.5 percent of the $1.6 million fire department budget.

During public hearings on the matter, council members agreed they planned to lower the tax rate proportionately with the fees to minimize the impact.

However, three out of five board members changed their minds last month and agreed to keep the tax levy at last year's 6.069 rate - generating $2,517,273.

The decision was made in light of council members agreeing to cancel the red light camera program and thus losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in anticipated annual revenue.

Aside from going back on the promise to lower the rate, Bernick said her issue is that business owners like herself - particularly those with industrial zoned property - are slated to pay thousands of dollars in additional fees.

For example, one parcel listed on Bernick's trim notice is slated to be taxed $8,917. Fire fees add another $7,472, meaning Bernick's total cost would be $16,389 - an $8,864, or 117.8 percent, increase compared to last year.

Even if the tax rate is lowered, Bernick said it will do little to alleviate the large fee increase.

"A lot of businesses have already had to cut back and this is leaving a lot of them with no choice but to close down and/or terminate employees," Bernick said. "Council members need to realize that this is a serious problem."

Mayor Lara Bradburn said she couldn't comment on individual tax notices, but is urging area business owners and taxpayers to attend next week's Sept. 8 meeting.

She said it's too late to undo using fire assessment fees because they're already set in the tax cycle for this year. However, council members could opt to lower the tax levy as originally planned.

Bradburn said she is a proponent of lowering the tax rate by .2 to 5.869, which would generate $2,434,318 - roughly $82,955 less than the 6.069 rate would generate.

"It might not resolve everyone's questions, but it would balance out the overwhelming majority of tax bills," Bradburn said. "But some people may see an increase, others a decrease depending on type of property they have."

Meanwhile, Bernick said John Roy has volunteered to field phone calls from those interested in joining the fight against fire fees. He can be contacted at 352-540-9420 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

"Basically, all of us have had to cut back and search for ways to make due with the bad economy," Bernick said. "Now it's time the city does the same."