Quotes by Lehigh Residents ----

In Lehigh Acres, the tax-rate will be slightly lower next year but the amount collected by the fire department will almost double, thanks to rising property values and new-home construction.

"It's a joke — It's really a fiasco," said Harold Doidge, 70, of Lehigh. "These guys are completely run amuck."

Homeowners already have gotten the bill in the mail — the increased cost of fire protection is on their Truth in Millage notice. Some safeguards are in place that limit the amount a homeowner's property values can increase in a given year.

But new homeowners such as Alan Penberthy of Lehigh are out of luck. Instead of $332, which he would pay if Lehigh lowered its rate to reflect rising property values, he will pay $618.

"The problem is the growth isn't going to go on forever and in order to feed this monster, they are going to have to increase tax rates significantly for everyone," Penberthy said.

Why doesn't the paper print the TRUTH !!!! Does the fire board need the money?

WHY DOES THE FIRE BOARD NEED THE MONEY ??? MAYBE THE UNION ??? THINK ABOUT IT THE UNION MEMBERS ON THE BOARD THEY VOTED TO GIVE THEMSELES A RAISE LAST YEAR NOW THEY INCREASE THE BUDGET BY 73 % --- THEY NEED TO LEARN HOW TO RUN A COMPANY AND BUDGET THE TAXPAYERS MONEY.

WHY DOESN'T the News print the truth ??? you taxes will go up !!!!!

Fire board approves reducing tax rate Budget

Budget calls for 6.77 percent decrease

exert for -----
By HEATHER PEURANO HPEURANO@LEHIGHNEWSSTAR.COM Published by lehighnewsstar.com on September 17, 2005

The Lehigh fire board approved a $25.38 million budget on Wednesday that includes additional ambulances and fire engines and reduces the tax rate by about 7 percent.

The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District budget decreases taxes about 20 cents to $2.80 per $1,000 of taxable property value.The fire tax on a $150,000 home, which is about average in Lehigh, minus the $25,000 homestead exemption, would be $349.62.
Even with the drop in the tax rate, the fire district will see an increase in revenue because property values went up 99 percent in the fire district this year.Commissioner Barry Ashman said the district would be collecting about $900,000 less than it would have if it had left the tax rate at the current $3 per $1,000 in taxable property value.

Commissioner Steve Haas defended the tax rate to the 10 audience members, some of whom had questioned the increase in revenue."We should have sufficient and properly maintained equipment and well-motivated, properly trained personnel," Haas said.

Chief James Cardoza said most people will see a reduction in their tax bills this year.

Others may see an increase because of increased property values.The budget, which takes effect Oct. 1, passed 3-2, with Ashman and Commissioner Bruce Boyd Jr. voting against it.

The budget includes money for two new fire stations to cope with growth in the district, two new fire trucks, two ambulances and 21 new firefighter/paramedics.

Boyd voted against the budget because it included excessive raises and $500,000 to buy out Cardoza's contract.

The board voted last month to buy out the remainder of Cardoza's contract, which ends in October 2007, in part because of two reprimands he received this year. He makes $105,000 a year.

Boyd was absent from the meeting and said he is against the decision.

Ashman said he intended to vote against the union contract so he could not support the budget.

In other business during the regular meeting that followed the budget hearing, the board voted to:

• not ratify union members' contract due to some confusion about whether compensation for additional education would carry over with promotions. The board may vote on a revised contract at a special meeting 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26.

• approve raises for the district's nine non-bargaining unit employees• purchase two ambulances and two fire engines

• hire Dr. Joseph Lemmons, director of emergency services at Lehigh Regional Medical Center, as medical director for the fire district

• begin recruiting for a new training officer in charge of emergency medical services

• apply for a $750,000 credit line in case of emergency• hire consultant Mary Ellen Dorsett to assist in finding a replacement for Cardoza

• sign a $30,000 contract for rebuilding fire station No. 2 at 11 Homestead Road

Commissioners Fire Department budget may spur

73 percent tax hike for the citizens of Lehigh Acres

WHY???

This tax and spend attitude that Fire Commissioners Haas, Guzman & Ashman has to STOP NOW!! – These gentlemen are members of the local firefighter union and love to spend your tax dollars – The Lehigh Acres Fire Dept has cash reserves to handle emergencies and impact fees to build at least one new fire station and equip it this year – then why do why need to raise your taxes and borrow 100’s of thousands of dollars also – My question to the Commissioners is --- why do we the citizens need another three quarter of million dollar new fire engine and spend a million dollars on two new ambulances -- just to please the union??? Do we need two new fire stations when already have the cash and impact fees to pay for one in full?

Commissioner Steve Haas has quoted to say the department is understaffed and the increase was necessary to meet fire safety standards. Yet the department is not understaffed and has always passed all fire safety standards requirement tests with flying colors. This is the way the union gets more people be calling the department understaffed. Also why, are the Commissioners giving all the fire fighters and the admin staff pay raises when it is not warranted and when there pay is already inline with other departments locally.

"We've been having to do without on a lot of stations and a lot of apparatus," Commissioner Haas said. The Watchdog’s point is this -- Commissioners have you read our your budget – you would know that there is cash reserves and to handle emergencies and money to buy so-called needed equipment and impact fees to build at least one new fire station and equip it this year instead of borrowing more money and raising taxes. The only issue is with the apparatus is maintenance and the communication when the maintenance is being done. The Commissioners need to learn to run the department and stop micro managing it and let the Chief’s do their jobs. Lehigh Acres Fire Department is just about to loss one of the finest Chief’s in Florida because of two reasons – One - that Commissioners Haas, Guzman & Ashman want to micro manage him --- (who wants to be micro managed) Two - the Commissioners want to hire a chief that is friendly to their union beliefs and their tax and spend attitude.

When communities like Lehigh Acres are faced with drastically increasing property values, officials sometimes use a roll-back millage rate, which means the tax appraiser increases property values a certain amount and the taxing body drops back that same amount so taxes do not go up.

It has been noted at the Florida Ethics Commission website that Commissioner Steven Haas had to pay fines to the Florida Ethics Commission during the last election cycle. Can the taxpayers trust a commissioner that have been found blameworthy under the Florida ethics guidelines and some of the other Commissioners there can be a possible conflict of interest, since three of the five commissioners are union members and must vote on pay raises, discipline and union issues that affect our local department.

I personally challenge the fire board if you raise taxes even one cent then the board must take a pay cut back to the prior amount before this board voted on its own pay raise last year. Fair is Fair!

I ask the citizens of Lehigh Acres to get involved and stop this nonsense of higher taxes.


Robert Anderson
President
Lehigh Acres Watchdog, Inc
(239) 369-6223