DESTIN — Voters’ opposition to paying more taxes showed last week as they handily defeated a referendum by the Destin Fire Control District that asked for a hike in the millage cap from 1 to the state maximum of 3.75.
“They spoke loud and clear,” Fire Chief Kevin Sasser said after the vote.
The referendum was defeated by a vote of 1,685 (80.7 percent) to 402 (19.3 percent). Of the 12,452 voters in the fire district, 2,087 cast ballots for a turnout of 16.8 percent.
Two days after the vote, Sasser said fire commissioners that he spoke with and firefighters were a bit disappointed, but realized they still had a job to do.
“This is tough, obviously, but we will regroup and move forward,” he said.
Sasser said a variety of factors could have led to the measure’s defeat. But based on conversations he had with voters and other residents, the main reason seemed to be the request for the maximum cap.
“I think in general, the residents of Destin love the firefighters and the Fire Department, but they didn’t like that we asked for the max. The word max can be frightening, worrisome,” he said. “I think people felt as though we overreached with the 3.75.”
The decision to ask for the maximum rate under state law was based on a tremendous amount of research by a five-year planning committee, Sasser said. While the district’s property values and expenditures were on par with other comparable districts, its revenue was almost 50 percent less.
Sasser said committee members looked at what other fire districts had done to address shortfalls, and that was to raise the millage. He said they knew the 3.75 would be difficult for people, but it was a number that other districts had approved.
During the fire board’s discussions on the referendum, there was talk of implementing a yearly cap, which would have limited the ability to increase the millage rate had voters approved the referendum. The only downfall to that would have been if the district needed to go above the yearly cap to balance the budget.
“What would we do then?” said Sasser.
Destin resident Bob Wagner, who was outspoken opponent from the start, echoed Sasser’s sentiments.
“It wasn’t about the firefighters; we love them,” he said. “It was about the commissioners going for what they wanted, not what they needed.”
During the run-up to last Tuesday’s vote, fire district representatives launched an aggressive campaign that told voters that unless they approved the measure, all employees faced across-the-board compensation cuts of 18 percent or 15 employees could lose their jobs. They added that response times would be “compromised” and firefighters wouldl face more danger.
Mike Buckingham, the lone fire commissioner to vote against putting the referendum on the ballot, disagreed with many points raised during the campaign.
“Shame on the commissioners for allowing the union, the firefighters, to go out there and make themselves look bad,” Buckingham said. “I do feel bad for them because the commissioners should have met with them to tell them how this (campaign) should have been done.”
Now, Sasser said the fire district will re-evaluate everything and determine the best course of action to overcome an upcoming budget shortfall.
With 80 percent of the district’s budget tied to personnel costs, Sasser said cutting positions is an option, but that’s “somewhere we don’t want to go.” Fire commissioners and firefighters would have to agree to open that discussion.
Although they are under contract, firefighters have a “layoff” article that would allow the district to cut personnel. The clause cuts from the bottom; the last firefighter hired would be the first to get laid off.
Sasser said the district could also cut benefits, reduce services or cut its administrative staff. While none of those options are ideal, Sasser said they all must be considered.
“The board now has to look at how we are going to move forward and continue offering the level of services we have been,” he said. “We have to show a balanced budget, so they are going to have to make some difficult decisions this year.”
He also didn’t rule out going back to the voters.
“At some point, yes, the district will probably have to ask the taxpayer for assistance,” he said.
Although the millage cap hike was defeated, Sasser said his firefighters are professionals and they will continue to serve.
“Regardless of how the vote turned out, we’ve got a job to do,” he said. “When you phone 911, we are going to be there.”
Destin Log Staff Writer Matt Algarin can be reached at 850-654-8446 or malgarin@thedestinlog.com. Follow him on Twitter @DestinLogMatt.