Cape Coral Fire Assessment

[Taratova]

Originally Posted by fiege1224

$106.20 for my place. Yes they will refund it if they lose on appeal. In fact they say it will cost the tax payer 140,000 to refund this corrupt tax if they loose on appeal. If they loose it should come out of there pockets instead of the tax payers pocket. What good is a cap on my taxes if they go around the system by adding taxes to my electric bill and now junk assessments.

A few years back they sent out vouchers for water. I sent in my check of $5000 and then they decided to send it back.. this is the most looney toon run city . I don't think they know what they are doing. Ask for money , sent it back.. ..what happened to the LCEC tax? I got a letter stating I would have a fire tax on my electric bill. Did that change too?

[fiege1224]

Originally Posted by Taratova

A few years back they sent out vouchers for water. I sent in my check of $5000 and then they decided to send it back.. this is the most looney toon run city . I don't think they know what they are doing. Ask for money , sent it back.. ..what happened to the LCEC tax? I got a letter stating I would have a fire tax on my electric bill. Did that change too?

Your electric bill has a 7% tax now for these crooks. Plus the assessment. They were going to drop the mill levy to help off set the increase. I figure my taxes went up about 200.00 total for the year. Plus the 3% they increased it because they could. With the door open now with this assessment they can rip us off every year for more. They just keep upping it every year in Miami for there bad budget habits and I can see these crooks doing the same. Very bad for the tax payer.

[SW_Pirate]

Sadly the majority of those who vote are city employees and their family and friends. As a result, in the past 6 years we have had 3 city Managers, 3 different Mayors and a complete overhaul of City Council to the point that the inmates are running the asylum. Pension benefits have created the revolving door with the police chief's(3) and fire chief's(3).
This "public service tax" is common throughout Florida because it creates an illusion that the millage rate drops only to leave room for more tax increases within the legal limits.

[rikoshaprl]

This is the problem with government unions. There is a quid pro quo between the unions and the politicians. Politicians give raises and unions give votes. Politicians don't worry about the bottom line, like private employers must, because they can just keep raising taxes.

[Taratova]

Originally Posted by fiege1224

Your electric bill has a 7% tax now for these crooks. Plus the assessment. They were going to drop the mill levy to help off set the increase. I figure my taxes went up about 200.00 total for the year. Plus the 3% they increased it because they could. With the door open now with this assessment they can rip us off every year for more. They just keep upping it every year in Miami for there bad budget habits and I can see these crooks doing the same. Very bad for the tax payer.

The mill rate goes lower but they can increase the assessed value of the home so they can still raise taxes.

They rob us still through the farce of a decreased mil rate and everyone gets a tax increase anyway by the assessments.. they must think we are dumb..

[Taratova]

Originally Posted by nhkev

I think it was said before this group was elected that they were very Union friendly and the last group was always at odds with the police and fire unions. The problem is the Police, Fire, city workers, teachers and their friends and families all vote in large numbers. good luck getting a pro union council out.

In the News Press Sunday Edition today there is a story of how the unions representing government jobs are bilking the system in Lee County . Watch as our taxes go up and up as the government unions demand 6 figures for their workers when they retire.


Then there is the Utilities Expansion Project that will add thousands to ones tax bill each year to pay for the water. If one doesn't pay cash they wlll have one other alternative and that is for their tax bill to go up $2500 each year. If one is paying $1000 a year on their homeowners tax bill then their taxes will be $3500 and that is not including the tax increase included each year.
Then on top of that the LCEC increase of 7% of your electric bill to cover fire and another added fee for the new fire assessment bill of at least $100 to each homeowner as well.. Is there an end?

[fiege1224]

There greed will come back to bite them in the ass later down the road. No one will be able to pay it and will go else ware. I left Florida in 2005 for the runaway taxes of these corrupt groups. Then it crashed and I came back. I will leave again at the pace they are on. The legal stealing they are doing is getting out of control again.

[artl]

How about not voting fo anyone on the council when the electric & fire taxes were passed. Maybe the next group will get the message.

[Taratova]

This article states there is the same amount of money in the general fund for fire and police. With the new fire assessment tax they will be getting more money while we the tax payer will have less money to spend.

Cape Coral restructures pensions and budget - WFTX-TV Fort Myers/Naples, FL

[nhkev]

Originally Posted by Taratova

This article states there is the same amount of money in the general fund for fire and police. With the new fire assessment tax they will be getting more money while we the tax payer will have less money to spend.

Cape Coral restructures pensions and budget - WFTX-TV Fort Myers/Naples, FL

I hate incomplete reporting. the article says the restructure will save the "city" 190 million over 25 years (or 7.6 million per year) but if the homeowner is paying on avg $150 how much revenue does that come out to per year???? If you were saving $7.6 million we wouldn't have to pay extra , correct? we'd be paying less. So if the general fund is the same and the fire, police, and other are all saying they haven't gotten a raise in 7 years then you know exactly where that money is going to go. Once again , how much are they making now? and regardless of how long it has been since they got a raise are they paid adequately for their jobs or not?

A city should look at it's cost of living and what it's population's median income is. They should start with that in mind, for all city workers whether it be Teachers, police, fire, utility workers. and classify jobs as entry level, higher education level, skilled trade and have things built in like shift differentials and hazard pay. When you have problems filling positions (which e everyone says there are 100 people competing for 1 job so this shouldn't be the case) then you give one time incentives like sign on bonuses to attract people and have then sign length of stay contracts or they have to pay it back. And I don't want to hear that false argument "We put our lives on the line everyday for you" bull crap. Roofers have much more dangerous jobs, as well as loggers. Police are more likely to die in an auto accident (not pursuit related) and having heart attacks as opposed to getting killed by a suspect. In fact in the entire country it is usually less than 50 per year. An officer is more likely to get caught with a false disability claim than get killed. Most I have known over the years are the biggest criminals and care nothing about protecting and serving they're just a bunch of greedy ticket writers. I have lived in two towns where people got so sick of the depts. that they just fired the whole bunch and started from scratch. They are all replaceable.