Captiva fire district approves millage rate, budget for next fiscal year
The Captiva Island Fire Control District adopted a final millage rate of 1.7000 and budget of $3,295,625 for the upcoming fiscal year at its second and final budget hearing.
On Sept. 20, the board of commissioners voted unanimously 3-0 for the tentative rate – an increase from the rolled back rate of 1.5356 – and general fund for 2018-2019, which starts Oct. 1. The rate is a 10.71 percent increase over the rolled back rate and provides a revenue of $2,380,246 for next year.
A mill is $1 per every $1,000 of taxable valuation. The rolled back rate is the rate it would take to generate the same amount of revenue in the coming fiscal year as was generated in the previous year.
The Lee County Property Appraiser’s Office has certified for the fire district that the “gross taxable value for operating purposes” – not exempt from taxation – for Lee County is $1,452,432,311.
“I’m very happy with it,” Commissioner Sherrill Sims said of the adopted millage rate and budget. “I think we tried hard to represent the taxpayers on Captiva the best we could.”
Commissioner Robert Brace echoed that.
“I think a lot of work went into it,” Sims added. “I’m pleased with it.”
Commissioner C.W. Kilgore explained that the district has had to make leaps to catch up with the island’s demands for its services, which have grown exponentially, especially among rentals.
“Our chef and our staff are exemplary,” he said.
The budget’s revenue sources include $ 2,380,246 in ad valorem taxes, $3,840 from intergovernmental, $5,950 from charges for service and $8,500 from miscellaneous, plus $897,089 in beginning reserves.
Expenditures for the new year are $1,775,297 for personal services, $354,431 for operating expenses, $21,500 for capital outlay and $342,245 for debt service, as well as $802,152 in ending reserves.
“We have been playing a little bit of catch up, but I think it’s an accurate and efficient budget,” Fire Chief Jeff Pawul said.
The district’s new fire rescue boat and the new engine it acquired last year are figured into it.
“And bringing our reserves back up to an acceptable level,” he said.
Pawul explained that the district had been working out of its reserves over the last couple of years in order to keep the costs levied upon and burden to taxpayers down to a minimum.
IN OTHER NEWS
– The district is expected to take possession of its first-ever fire rescue boat in mid-October.
“So, we’re just trying to finalize that,” Pawul said.
A public ceremony for it, similar to what is done for fire trucks, may be organized.
– Pawul continues to work on getting the district certified through a program with Veterans Affairs that will benefit veterans and active military by tapping into educational training and military incentives.
“We have four veterans on our staff,” he said.
A VA representative recently conducted a three-hour site visit as part of the application process.
“This is purely for the veterans themselves, not the district,” Pawul said.
He anticipates that he will receive an answer in the next few weeks.
– The district responded to one “serious” call tied to the Galloway Captiva Triathlon.
It was a medical call that occurred before the event started.
“But the majority of the stuff during the race pretty minor,” he said.
Pawul noted that no one required medical transport.