OVIEDO, Fla. — A new fee could be coming to Oviedo property owners to pay for fire protection services.

The city is looking to create a fire assessment district to fund costs associated with those services, including firefighters’ salaries, equipment and training. Fees would be phased in yearly over the course of five years, based on the department’s 2027 projected budget for fire protection services. 

Property owners would be charged $212.21 per 2,125 square feet next year, then 10% would be tacked on annually for four more years. By year five, the rate would cover 100& of the projected 2027 budget: $8.8 million.

Fire Chief Mike Woodward says the fees in the beginning would not fully cover the budget. If the city council approves the fire assessment district, he says $3.9 million would be collected in 2023, when the projected budget is $7.2 million. 

The fees would go to residential, multi-family and general service property owners.

Emma Reichert, who owns a home and store in Oviedo, would be charged twice and she has concerns.

“I think people assume that everyone can afford it,” she said, “But what I’m saying is, I was a single parent and I don’t know if I could’ve necessarily afforded an extra $200 – and that’s just the beginning.”

Reichert would rather see the city makes other cuts to the budget than create a separate funding source for the fire department. She argues the district is a way for the city to tax property owners without technically taxing them, since it’s a Non-ad Valorem assessment. 

The city stated since the housing crash of 2008, property tax revenue hasn’t been enough to cover public safety. The fire assessment district would collect fees based on property size versus property value in hopes of a more stabilized funding source.

The city council first discussed the creation of a fire assessment district in January. Councilors will hold their final public hearing and vote on the matter on June 20.