4% increases removed from resolution
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Two minutes after the advertised start time there was already a shout from the audience: “No new taxes!”
That sums up much of the sentiment shared over the next four hours. Chairman Danny Riddick, an unflinching supporter of the fire assessment, pleaded as things were getting started for kindness and courtesy from all to all.
“Please be kind, be courteous, just knowing that whatever you say tonight, you’re going to have to live with all the citizens in this room from now on as long as you’re in Bradford County.”
Fire Chief Ben Carter was up first with a presentation too few people had seen over the years, including the three fire assessment workshops held over the past few months. It shares the current operations plan in comparison to prior years, how the department falls short of national standards, but also the kinds of emergencies handled with the staffing they have. A motel fire. Sawmill fires. A train versus a semi. He shared the number of responses and the average response time. He tried to combat misperceptions of overspending by explaining how they obtained their vehicles and how it cost local taxpayers much less than they know. There were exemptions built in for the poorest households, he said, and a grievance process for those challenging their number of assessments.
The audience was vocal and, as he went on, losing patience. His explanation of how the current station coverage lowers property insurance bills backfired when the audience heard his slide was comparing the premium for a $400,000 home. As for breaking down the $167 annual assessment to skipping a fast-food meal each month — well, he predicted the response by first asking that no one throw anything at him.
As he was wrapping things up, Carter was already being confronted by a woman saying she received no EMS response and was told to call Union County because she had a Lake Butler address in western Bradford County. A man complained about 30- to 45-minute response times in Hampton.
When public comments actually began, the crowd cheered. Applause and cheering continued as most took turns telling commissioners to vote the assessment down or get voted out of office (or tarred and feathered). Many questioned the level of service they received or the ability for the fire department save their properties. None were happy about the amount of the assessment and even less so knowing that amount could be increased by as much as 4% every year. Many felt the assessment was unfair and inequitable, questioning how the fee was apportioned, why the same amount was paid by households of very different means, and why vacant parcels were charged just $47 regardless of their size.
Lisa Whitehead said the fee was outrageous. “It raises my taxes 24%, and my house is a $50,000 house, it’s not a $400,000 house,” she said.
The crowd was highly suspicious of the commission’s intentions, its spending habits and felt they had little notice that a fire assessment was even being considered. Dean Poppell told the commission to look for the money in its existing budget, suggesting across the board cuts, salary reductions and a smaller workforce.
Anita Baker spoke to the crowd. “I come to these meetings all the time, and they spend money really foolishly,” she said, pointing to funding for recreation, the purchase of the fairgrounds and Starke’s utility extension to the bypass.
James Nielsen invoked Donald Trump and DOGE as he complained about government’s wasteful spending. “What we have here is a bunch of people running red but then spending blue,” he said, continuing that commissioners were spitting in the face of the community’s elderly. “Don’t try to strike fear into the people to pass a tax. And don’t say it’s not a tax, because if we don’t pay it, what do you do to our home?”
Marshall Rawson, who is running to represent District 10 in Florida House, said governments must live within their budgets just like families. “Our local government can’t simply say yes to every proposed expenditure that comes their way. In one way, the fire assessment fee is a more honest tax than your typical property tax in that at least we know where it’s going. But the issue is, when you combine that with an increase of property tax already, that is not acceptable and it’s not equitable for our community when real estate speculators have already artificially driven up the price of homes and homeownership has become unaffordable for many in our community. This is an extra burden that we cannot afford.”
Offering a different perspective, Amber Shepherd of the Northeast Florida Economic Development Corporation tied the strength of the fire department to the future of the county. “Anytime a new cost is introduced, people worry about how it affects their families and their budgets, and those concerns are real. But we also have to look at what’s at stake for Bradford’s future. Fire and rescue isn’t just about emergencies; it’s about creating a safe, stable community where families want to live and businesses are willing to invest,” she said.
Shepherd was one of a handful of speakers to say so and do it while being heckled or shouted down. Carol Montgomery was laughed at and taunted as she shared her support. “This is more than just a budget decision or another line on the tax bill. It’s about protecting lives, property and the future of Bradford County,” she said. “Without this funding, we gamble with response times, with firefighter safety and ultimately with the lives of our neighbors.”
“You guys hold what’s called the burden of leadership,” Alex Hatch told commissioners. “Sometimes you’ve got to do the hard job.”
A short time later, Commissioner Chris Dougherty moved the resolution and Commissioner Diane Andrews seconded. Discussion from Commissioner Carolyn Spooner, who had to fight to be heard, got the potential 4% annual increase removed. Then the commission unanimously voted to adopt the amended resolution, placing the fire assessment on this year’s tax bill — $167 per dwelling unit, 11 cents per square foot for nonresidential buildings and $47 for vacant parcels.
“I was elected by my constituents to lead. I’m not following,” Dougherty said later, adding that he’d had a total of four comments leading up to the meeting.
“It is a tough decision that we have to make, but you, you elect us to make this tough decision, and I don’t make it without considering the people of the community,” Spooner said.
Andrews said she was disheartened by what was said to the commission, but also by what was said by some to their fellow citizens because they disagreed. She apologized that happened. “You were treated wrong, and nobody had the right to do that,” she said. “We’re going to make some people mad. And it’s unfortunate that it can’t be everybody that we can make happy. And I’m sorry for the ones who are angry and maybe lost friends tonight.”
