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Voters have approved a tax increase for the Greater Naples Fire District.
The independent district sought the increase by referendum, calling for a tax increase of up to 0.5 percent to cover capital costs, which could generate more than $16 million per year.
The measure was passed on Tuesday with 56.2 percent of the votes cast.
The question appeared only on the ballots of voters living within the district’s 758-square-mile boundaries, which include state and federal lands.
13,906 votes were in favor of the referendum, 10,817 against.
The fire district relies primarily on property taxes to support its operations, and with the current tax burden, it is struggling to keep up with operating, equipment and maintenance costs — and population growth.
While the district’s demands, costs and needs continue to grow, the tax rate it levies has not changed since its creation through the merger of the East Naples and Golden Gate fire districts nearly a decade ago.
Since that merger, Greater Naples Fire’s service area has expanded to include the islands of Capri and Ochopee. While that has expanded the tax base, revenues have fallen far short of needs even as taxable values have continued to rise, Chris Wolfe, the fire department’s interim chief, said before the vote.
The county’s current tax rate is 1.5 per thousand, which equates to $1.50 per $1,000 of a property’s taxable value.
The tax increase will apply for eight years. The district will decide, based on its budget needs, whether to collect the maximum amount of 2 per thousand annually.
For an owner with a taxable home value of $400,000, the additional cost would be no more than $200 per year, or less than $17 per month.
At the current tax rate, property taxes this fiscal year would have been approximately $50 million.
“There is no room in the budget to address current replacement needs or future capital needs,” Wolfe said.
In case you missed it: The Greater Naples Fire District is seeking a tax increase via referendum. Here’s why.
All funds raised through the additional tax are managed in a separate account exclusively for capital improvements.
The district functions much like a small county or city, with its own departments, from human resources and technology to facilities and fleet management. Costs have risen in everything from health insurance benefits to office supplies.
The district serves a year-round population of about 180,000, and based on that population, it is short at least 60 firefighters, which cannot be hired without a tax increase, Wolfe said.
The tax increase will free up more money for fire service operations, including for more firefighters.
There is not enough money to buy new equipment and vehicles, maintain and repair all fire stations or build new ones. Almost 80 percent of the budget is spent on personnel, Wolfe said.
Of the four fire districts in Collier County, Greater Naples has the second lowest property tax rate. North Collier is at 1 per thousand, Big Corkscrew and Immokalee each have 3.75 per thousand (the maximum allowed under state law).
A political action committee (PAC) called Collier County Citizens Values opposed the increase, arguing that the county has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Other opponents included East Naples Civic & Commerce, a community organization that represents residents and businesses in part of the county’s jurisdiction.
Todd Eschmann, a resident of East Naples, was one of the most vocal supporters of the tax increase, believing it was not just important, but crucial.
He cited an October 2023 performance report showing that the district’s average response time to fire calls (including alarms) was 11 minutes and 23 seconds, more than double the national standard.
The external audit revealed a similar situation in the response to medical emergency calls.
“This is a big concern for the people who live here,” said Eschmann.
Greater Naples Fire is the largest fire district in Florida. According to the most recent annual report, firefighters responded to more than 30,000 emergencies and conducted nearly 10,200 life-saving inspections in 2023, a 1.65% year-over-year increase in callouts.
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