After crunching numbers with Fire District Finance Director Jane Thompson, Fort Myers Beach Fire Chief Scott Wirth has proposed the Fire District Board vote for a millage rate for the 2024/2025 fiscal year of 2.8 per $1,000 of assessed property valuation. The current rate is 2.985.
Wirth says at a rate of 2.8 the Fire District will collect $12.35 million in tax revenue. When you add in other revenue sources such as impact fees, life safety fees, ambulance transport fees, interest and the sale of assets, the total 2024/2025 fire district budget will be $37.2 million.
This year the taxable property values on Fort Myers Beach are estimated to be $4.46 billion compared to $3.178 billion. The value of property on Fort Myers Beach shot up nearly 50% according to Lee County Property Appraiser Matt Caldwell. Of course that followed a steep decline after Hurricane Ian. Caldwell expects property values on Fort Myers Beach to be back to pre-Ian levels by next year.
The Fire District will hold the first budget public hearing on Thursday, September 12th at 5PM. The second budget public hearing will be on September 26th before the Board’s regular Board meeting at 10AM.
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With 2.8, the district is still getting more money because of the property value increase from last year. Looking at the Trim notices and doing the math one vacant lot beach property, the tax goes up by $286 with the 2.8 milage rate.