Midway FD's tax plan goes to voters
BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze News lisa@gulfbreezenews.com

As of Tuesday, it is up to the voters in the Midway Fire District to decide how much fire protection they can afford.

As firefighters knock on doors telling residents the value of paid, professional fire protection and advanced life support, another group is fighting the new assessment, primarily because of the impact it will have on businesses.

Midway Fire Chief Stephen Demeter told Gulf Breeze News he wished the full impact of the 38-cent assessment per square foot of commercial space was brought to the attention of him and the Midway Fire Board before it was placed on the ballot.

"I wish they (Government Services Group, the consultants Midway FD hired) had redflagged" the potential impact on businesses within the district.

Now, the chief says that if the referendum passes, he will advise the board "that station 3 and the personnel for station 3 be taken out of the fire assessment budget and those rates lowered to reflect the change. This is based on the outcry from the business community."

However, if the referendum passes, the board may interpret it as a mandate from the voters to go forward with plans to develop land on Highway 98 for a third fire station, using the established millage on property values, the per-square-foot fee on commercial property and the $224 fee per residential dwelling.

Bill Brooks, a Bay Street resident, says the ballot language is misleading.

"The ballot which people vote on fails to state that the Midway Fire District retains the legal authority to levy ad valorem tax in addition to the $224 fee on residences," Brooks states.

Chief Demeter said the referendum language was limited to 75 words and cannot address the existing tax on property values along with verbiage to assess a fee.

The new fee is also indexed based on the increase in Florida personal income for the previous five years. The new fees are not tax deductible, as taxes are.

Brooks is also incensed that Midway Fire bases its ad valorem tax on the full value of a home, not deducting the $25,000 homestead exemption. In addition, the tax bill issued by Robert McClure is erroneous, showing a $25,000 deduction that isn't computed into the Midway Fire tax.

"They've charged $35 more than they should have," Brooks stated, per homesteaded household in the Midway district.

However, Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser Greg Brown said that as a special taxing district, the Midway Fire District is not required to recognize the homestead exemption.