The meeting room at Veterans Park Community Center was packed with at least 150 people, mostly firefighters, and residents of Lehigh today when the first of several special meetings was held to discuss the upcoming budget, which will bring in in less revenue because of the recession and the lagging economy in Lehigh Acres.

Estimates are that the fire district will face a $7 million shortfall.

Fire Chief Don Adams presented the board of supervisors several scenarios showing what the department might have to do with less revenue coming from property owners.

Around a large group of tables formed in a square were about 20 people from county safety officials, chiefs from other fire departments, local fire department chiefs and personnel and union reps.

The meeting began at 1 p.m. and ran until around 3:30 p.m.

In all the projected budgets showing less revenue coming to the department, the fire chief presented a clear record of what the repercussions would be, beginning with the loss of a few firefighters on down to a barely skelton staff of firefighters, EMS and administrative staff.

“I could lose my assistant chiefs we could lose personnel to run our five ambulances and have to call up the county to help,” Adams said. “We might have to close fire stations.”

John Wilson, the public safety director with the county, was on hand and offered any type of help the county could provide, but he said the board in Lehigh would have to let him know what they would need and then he and his staff would have to work from there in how emergency ambulance service could be provided from other parts of the county.

Only a few people spoke up at the public comment session at the end of the meeting. One of those applauded the Lehigh Acres Fire Dept. for the excellent work it does in this community.

Adams told The Citizen later that it really all depends on what the income will be from the taxpayers. Property Appraiser Kenneth Wilson’s office has projected a shortfall of at least 34 to 35 percent in income and others have predicted a shortfall of at least 40 percent in revenue.

Joel Guzman, one of the commissioners, said he believes the shortfall will be closer to the 40 percent projection by some because of all the foreclosures in Lehigh and the loss in value of present homes.

“We just won’t know which way we will go until we know what income we will have coming in,” the chief said.

During the meeting Commission President Jeff Berndt asked the board’s counsel if money could be borrowed against the two new fire departments that were opened this past year.

“That could be a way to help see up through this situation if that can be done,” he said. The buildings cost the department around $2.7 million each and brought the total number of fire departments to five in Lehigh.

Richard Pringle said he would study the legal aspects of the suggestion.

Simply stated, it would mean a line of credit could be extended to the fire district against the two new stations which the department has paid for in full without having to raise taxes for homeowners in Lehigh Acres. Some have explained it like a reverse mortgage of sorts.

Supervisor Ralph Hemingway expressed anger against the local TV media for the reports aired over the past couple of weeks indicating that there would be massive layoffs at the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue Dept.

“Firefighters have been calling me and asking me about their jobs. The TV stations have scared a lot of people. We have not done anything to lay off people and we are going to the best we can to get through this situation,” Hemingway said.

Fire Chief Adams stressed that this is all about the less income the fire district will be receiving.

“We’re doing everything we can to save money. I have presented the results of budgets with less income and the board of commissioners will have to make some tough decisions.

With money in surplus brought over from the previous year’s budget, Adams said seven firefighters could lose their jobs in the new budget.

The department must supply a budget to the state in July and it would take effect in October.

The worst case scenario could mean many jobs would be lost from chiefs, the administrative staff to firefighters and EMS personnel. Lehigh has a population of more than 70,000, the board was told by Joe Whalen, the Chamber’s CEO and president.

The chief said he is very concerned about what will happen if he is forced to make massive layoffs and havaing to cover such a large area with such a high population.

The Lehigh Acres Fire Dept. has been one of the more successful departments in the county over the past few years, building up reserves and being able to build two much needed fire stations and paying for them. The tax cap is 3.0 mils and the department’s millage rate is 2.79 mils. Taxpayers would have to vote in a referendum before taxes could be raised over the 3.0 rate, but nobody is suggesting that on the board.

The chief said he was proud of his department and the people that work there and that this is nobody’s fault. He said the economy in Lehigh went sour and homes lost their value and many were foreclosed on.

A future meeting will be held for the public and the board is asking for input. The date of the next special meeting will be announced.