The Newberry City Commission unanimously passed a $419 preliminary fire assessment rate during a regular commission meeting on Monday.
The fire assessment amount, which passed 3-0 with Commissioners Monty Farnsworth and Tony Mazon absent, is the highest that can be set for the 2026 budget ahead of the fiscal year commencing Oct. 1 and is more than double last year’s $200 rate.
The maximum rate would raise commercial rates from 24 cents per square foot to 34 cents per square foot, institutional rates from 6 cents per square foot to 30 cents per square foot, and lower industrial/warehouse rates from 25 cents per square foot to nine cents per square foot.
The new rate will be advertised to the public in August and can be lowered but not raised during the fiscal year. Fire rescue assessment revenue is expected to total $1,245,747 by Sept. 30, 2026.
“We’re kind of getting to the point where we need to start thinking ahead again and accruing for expanding, those sorts of things,” said Mayor Tim Marden. “Two hundred dollars just isn’t going to get us there, and it’s easier to go the incremental instead of the big black all at once.”
According to city staff, the fire assessment is charged against all real property for the provision of fire protection services within the city.
These services include personnel costs, capital improvements and equipment for responding to fire and non-medical emergencies, as well as maintaining readiness to do so through staffing, training, procuring and maintaining facilities and equipment.
Newberry provides exemptions for government property, tax-exempt properties, such as churches, and offers a hardship assistance program for residents who meet certain criteria but can’t afford to pay the fee.
Additional documents for the meeting stated that fire assessments lower insurance rates for property owners.
Staff said property taxes currently account for 54% of the Newberry Fire Department budget, and about one-third of that comes from the fire assessment.
The $419 per resident rate comes after the city redid its fire assessment study, which helps calculate the fees. Instead of studying one year of call data, like the last study that was done in 2016, the commission directed staff to assess three years of call data from 2022 to 2024.
Staff said the study found a decrease in calls to residential and commercial properties, and an increase in both industrial and institutional ones. The calls are then apportioned based on the department’s $2.5 million budget and found that $419 is the highest amount for funding the department.
A public hearing to consider the annual fire rescue assessment will be held at 7 p.m. on Aug. 25 at Newberry City Hall (25440 W. Newberry Rd.).
Also, during Monday’s meeting, the commission unanimously approved rezoning the 50-acre proposed Crystal Lake Development, owned by Texas-based developer HCNB SAPP LLC, and located at 21236 W. Newberry Rd. from agricultural to commercial (intensive).
The Newberry commission and planning and zoning boards previously approved the petition in June. No specific level of development has been proposed, and an approved site and development plan are still needed before construction can begin.
The commission also declared July as Park and Recreation Month in Newberry in accordance with the same designation celebrated nationally since 1985. Newberry Director of Parks and Recreation Rod Clark provided the commission with a recreation overview for the past year.
Clark said the parks and recreation staff added more positions, including a special events coordinator, grounds maintenance staff members and a new intern, UF volleyball player Alexis Stucky. The youth sports leagues recently added 7-on-7 football and provided the First Down Football Camp in partnership with Cory Durden of the New York Giants.
The city saw a 13% increase in adult sport participation and will host indoor pickleball this summer from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Mondays at Easton Newberry Sports Complex.
“A year ago, I stood up here when I first started and you guys asked me that question, ‘are we going to have pickleball?’” Clark said. “We have pickleball now.”
City Manager Jordan Marlowe also provided updates on personnel changes. Jamie Jones will move from assistant city manager for public works and utilities to assistant city manager over infrastructure and development, which includes planning and zoning.
Assistant City Manager and Chief Financial Officer Dallas Lee will become assistant city manager over economic and community vitality, which encompasses economic developments, parks and recreation, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and budget and finance.
Marlowe also said his staff is working to publish meeting agendas earlier, so the commissioners have time to read them before meetings. Vendors will be asked to submit their items by Thursday prior to the week the agenda is published.
“Hopefully that will help mitigate some of the mistakes, give you guys plenty of time to talk to me, talk to directors, get all your answers to all of your questions,” Marlowe said.