DELTONA, Fla. – Deltona city leaders are moving quickly to establish a new fire assessment fee, bracing for a potential multimillion-dollar hit to the city’s budget if a statewide constitutional amendment passes in November. Commissioners are set to vote Monday night, ahead of a Sept. 15 deadline to adopt the fee.
The proposal could cost homeowners up to $579 per year for a standard single-family home. If Florida’s proposed property tax amendment passes, Deltona projects it could face a nearly $18 million shortfall in its first year after the amendment is fully implemented — a number that would grow annually.
The steep price tag is already drawing reaction from residents. “I think it’s wrong,” said George. “Like people say, don’t count your chickens before they hatch because you don’t know the end result.”
The fee would not fall solely on homeowners. Commercial properties, churches, other tax-exempt sites and vacant land would also be assessed, with amounts determined by property size and improvements.
For some residents, the added cost feels ill-timed. “Everyone is struggling right now,” one resident said. “It’s hard to do anything — just buying food and gas. So that would be a lot.”
Even if the property tax reform does not pass in November, the fire assessment fee would remain in place, as it would already be built into the city’s approved budget. City officials say they could lower the millage rate to help offset some of the additional cost to residents — a discussion also expected Monday night.
The Sept. 15 deadline for cities to submit their budgets is driving the urgency behind this week’s vote.