Escambia County Won’t Raise Fire Fee, Property Tax Or Sales Tax To Increase Fire Services Funding : NorthEscambia.com
Escambia County will not raise the fire fee, sales tax or property tax in order to fund fire services this year.
Instead, they will use $5 million from an expected increase in the general fund. Escambia County is projecting about $19 million more in property tax revenue next year without a change in the tax rate due to increased property values.
“It appears to me as if the only course of action is to just absorb the expenses out of the general fund and leave MSBUs, MSTUs and ad valorem alone and just move forward,” Commissioner Steven Barry said.
The Escambia County Commission took no formal action on Thursday. Instead, they will include the $5 million five services increase in the next general fund budget, which will take effect on October 1.
Earlier this month, the commission considered raising the fire MSBU from $125 to $165 per year instead of a previously discussed sales tax increase.
