JUPITER, Fla. — Jupiter's town council has approved a fire assessment fee to help fund the town's new fire rescue department, which begins service Oct. 1.
The fee, which the town describes as a per-property charge, will cover about 8% of the total cost of the department. Property taxes will fund 84% of the department, with the remaining 8% collected through EMS transport fees.
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The assessment will replace the current county fire fee that appears on residents' tax bills.
Finance Director Scott Reynolds said the move represents significant savings for property owners.
"The immediate savings for property owners, we've been talking about this for three years, starting at $25 million so right out of the gate, a $10 million savings to the residents," Reynolds said.
Some residents expressed concern the new fee could increase over time.
"I mean it's small now, but what's going to happen down the road?" a resident said.
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Mayor Jim Kuretski was the lone no vote on the funding structure. He raised concerns about how the assessment is calculated across different property types.
"Single family homes are being assessed based on total square footage including garages and porches. Townhomes and condos are not," Kuretski said.
The town sent letters to 30,000 homes explaining the fee. Town of Jupiter spokesperson Mariana DiNunzio acknowledged the change has caused some confusion.
"I think there's been some confusion because it's new. The town hasn't had to have this, a non ad-valorem assessment," DiNunzio said.
The town has established an online calculator where residents can see their potential savings.
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