Property Tax Cuts Would Dampen Service To Public, Fire Chiefs Say

By RICH SHOPES The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 9, 2007

TAMPA - Fire chiefs from Tampa, Temple Terrace and Clearwater on Friday warned of reduced service and possible cuts in firefighters and EMTs if lawmakers in Tallahassee approve deep cuts in property taxes at a special legislative session next week.

"I've been in conference calls with chiefs from across the state and each one is discussing cuts in personnel and closing stations and cutting service," said Tampa Fire Chief Dennis Jones. "This will have a tremendous impact."

In Tampa, no cuts are planned until city leaders learn by how much legislators want to cut property taxes during the session, Tuesday to June 22. Property taxes are the main revenue for fire departments.

Tampa Fire Rescue, responding to a request by Mayor Pam Iorio, cut $2.7 million from its $50 million budget for next year. It wants to make up most of that amount by charging for the services firefighters provide at car accidents.

Further budget reductions could result in layoffs and longer response times to accidents and fires, said Jones, flanked by Temple Terrace Chief Keith Chapman and Clearwater Chief Jamie Greer outside Tampa Fire Rescue headquarters.

The cuts come after several years in which departments across Florida added personnel and equipment and opened new stations to cope with the surging population.

Since the 1980s, calls to Tampa Fire Rescue have jumped from an average of 12,000 calls yearly to 70,000. Greer said volume in Clearwater has more than doubled to 25,000 annually from the mid-1990s.

Reporter Rich Shopes can be reached at rshopes@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7633.