We think: Merging fire services helps taxpayers

About time we thought more about what it costs people to support government and all its functions-----consolidation will help lower costs and looks to provide better service with integrated networks of service.

What is the real cost to the WS citizens? we will now have a 2.3 mil fire tax from the county instead of a fee. What doe that equate to in dollars if added to the cities millage? What is our total millage now? It has been said that Altamontes overall millage went up after consolodation.
Not opposed but just would like the facts.

What can we get rid of next? Why not consolidate police services?

"The merger will eliminate a local fire fee that Winter Springs slapped on its taxpayers -- after legislators and voters directed local governments to cut taxes."

I already paid that "local fire fee." Does this mean I will receive a refund??

I say consolidate the entire county just like they did up in Jacksonville. It is so stupid and redundant to have multiple fire and police and emergency rescue and mayors and commissioners for each little "kingdom" scattered about. Having a single, uniform, county government would insure standardization of material, training, and also keep everyone on the same page, adhering to the same standards of health, welfare, codes, etc. but we must insist that the outlying county rural areas meet the same standards as the urban codes and not continue to let them operate as loose as they do now. The county must unify to the highest standards and not the lowest. We are not going to turn the whole county into a junk car lot with butt high grass and falling down houses like the county allows now.

Winter Springs resident wrote:

"The merger will eliminate a local fire fee that Winter Springs slapped on its taxpayers -- after legislators and voters directed local governments to cut taxes."
I already paid that "local fire fee." Does this mean I will receive a refund??

I paid it also but that went for the current year. We won't have to pay for next year.

Frederick wrote:

I say consolidate the entire county just like they did up in Jacksonville. It is so stupid and redundant to have multiple fire and police and emergency rescue and mayors and commissioners for each little "kingdom" scattered about. Having a single, uniform, county government would insure standardization of material, training, and also keep everyone on the same page, adhering to the same standards of health, welfare, codes, etc. but we must insist that the outlying county rural areas meet the same standards as the urban codes and not continue to let them operate as loose as they do now. The county must unify to the highest standards and not the lowest. We are not going to turn the whole county into a junk car lot with butt high grass and falling down houses like the county allows now.

Here here. Totally agree.

This is the first action taken that is in the spirit that Amendment 1 was approved. It was intended to force government to analyze their budgets and come up with ways to save money. It's no different that what an individual does when a reduction in income comes along.
Up until now the only decision was to randomly cut services, including staff, to reduce the budget. That is the type of governmental closed thinking that forced Amendment 1. Why wasn't this consolidation thought of earlier? It's because nobody in government cares until a gun is put to their head.
Thanks you Winter Springs and Seminole County. No keep looking....

Let's consolidate service at the sentinel. Someone send the writer of this article down to the print room, I need some gears oiled. While were at it let's make every cop a fireman and merge the city with the county. We'll call it Oranglando.

Well, its about time. I feel very sorry for everyone who had to come up with extra money this year for our Commissioner's stupidity.(Mine was added to my rent over the next whole year). Still, at least they learned a lesson about budgets, and not counting their chickens before they hatch.

I too, would like to know all the facts about millage w/ the consolidation, but even if our millage goes up a few percent, keep in mind, they cut it by 24%, so we will still win in the end.

Kelly in Winter Springs wrote:

Well, its about time. I feel very sorry for everyone who had to come up with extra money this year for our Commissioner's stupidity.(Mine was added to my rent over the next whole year). Still, at least they learned a lesson about budgets, and not counting their chickens before they hatch.
I too, would like to know all the facts about millage w/ the consolidation, but even if our millage goes up a few percent, keep in mind, they cut it by 24%, so we will still win in the end.

not true on that 24%, that was my point earlier. Lets use this as an example I think the numbers are close.

If the city millage is now 3.00 and you add 25% back to keep your fire department you get a millage of 4.00

Now take your same 3.00 you have after the tax reduction and add in the 2.3 seminole county fire fee and you have a total millage of 5.3, a 1.3 mil increase or an approx 35% increase over your 4.

now take a home after homestead valued at 200K and your new "consolidated fire fee" is 460.00 a year.

Not sure if anyone really ran the numbers on this one.

Good thinking on this one, we need to consolidate all overlapping police and fire agencies to save some money.

On another note I was getting a haircut yesterday and the fat out of shape slovenly man sitting beside me was an Orange Counry EMT who was obviously on duty ,making loud calls on his radio.
After about an hour of wainting and blabbing on the radio he gets in the chair complains about how expensive everything is, then gets another call. The man on the other end is obviously telling this firefighter to sign him out in the morning since hes not where he should be so he can still get paid .

Real nice, our heros, this fat slob couldnt run a block much less climb some stairs. Fire these worthless slobs and get someone who wants to work for chrissakes!

To bad you couldn't tape record his converstaion and then use it to "rat" him out.

Mad wrote:

Good thinking on this one, we need to consolidate all overlapping police and fire agencies to save some money.
On another note I was getting a haircut yesterday and the fat out of shape slovenly man sitting beside me was an Orange Counry EMT who was obviously on duty ,making loud calls on his radio.
After about an hour of wainting and blabbing on the radio he gets in the chair complains about how expensive everything is, then gets another call. The man on the other end is obviously telling this firefighter to sign him out in the morning since hes not where he should be so he can still get paid .
Real nice, our heros, this fat slob couldnt run a block much less climb some stairs. Fire these worthless slobs and get someone who wants to work for chrissakes!