Dear editor,
We, the voting members of the Santa Rosa County Firefighters’ Association, a non-governmental organization that exists to advance the common interests of the Fire and Emergency Medical Response Services of Santa Rosa County, wish to express our concerns about promotional materials supporting Santa Rosa County’s proposed half-cent local option sales tax.
While our membership expresses their unanimous support for this funding initiative, we are concerned that promotional material distributed by Moving Santa Rosa Forward seems to give the impression that funding will be provided directly to local fire departments, or will directly support fire department operations.
This is simply not the case.
The local fire departments within Santa Rosa County are funded through a variety of means, including municipal taxes, local district taxes, or direct assessment, but are not funded by Santa Rosa County, and would not receive any direct funding under the proposed local option sales taxes.
Irrespective of the outcome of the proposed tax initiative, each fire department will continue to rely entirely on their existing funding mechanisms to sustain their ongoing operations and maintain existing levels of service.
As stated in the enabling ordinance, the proposed one-half-cent sales tax would, “fund law enforcement/fire and public safety facilities and equipment, transportation and drainage improvements, infrastructure projects/public facilities, recreation/natural resources and capital equipment.”
This includes the new county-wide radio system that serves all emergency services, and could also fund future capital projects that would be of benefit to all fire departments.
This tax will not, however, provide any direct funding to cover routine operations of any fire department within Santa Rosa County.
It is our desire that the voters are accurately informed when considering this, and any other issues appearing on upcoming ballots.
Some fire districts will have their own initiatives on the ballot, and we do not want anyone to be confused that the local option sales tax will have any bearing on these other issues, as it will not.
Each of these initiatives should be considered on their own merits, without regard to other, unrelated county-wide issues.
We always remain proud to serve the citizens of Santa Rosa County.
CHIEF JOHN E. REBLE
President
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: LETTER: Regarding Santa Rosa’s proposed half-cent sales tax