If the Lehigh Acres Fire District gives final approval on August 6, a special election will be held on December 1 if by poll at Lehigh precincts or December 8 if by mail ballot, according to Supervisor of Elections Sharon Harrington.

The Property Appraiser’s office confirmed that there are 129,201 parcels within the district. At a tax rate of $100 per parcel this would result in a special assessment of $12,920,100. As no time limit was specified in the resolution this special tax would continue year after year, according to officials.

The current proposed 3 mil tax on $3,198,665,665 taxable value would produce $9,595,998 in taxes. The special assessment is on top of the 3 mil property tax base rate. The special election could cost $160,000 to $170,000 if by mail ballot, according to Harrington. The district must pay the full actual cost of the election even if more than the estimate, she said.

If the special assessment issue was presented to the voters at the general election in November 2010 she said there would be no charge to the district.

“With a mail-ballot, we are required by law to send notices prior to the date the ballots would be mailed to all active and inactive registered voters letting them know about the election and giving them an opportunity to request an absentee ballot if they plan to be away when the actual election ballots are mailed because they cannot be forwarded,” Harrington said. She estimated that “would be 34,000 ballots.”

If approved by the voters the first tax bill for the special assessment will go out November 2010 for the 2010-11 budget year. No tax money from the special tax will be available for the budget beginning October 1, 2009.

On August 6, 2009 the Board of Fire Commissioners will meet from 4 to 8 p.m. to discuss the 2009-2010 budget and the special assessment tax at the East County Regional Library off of Gunnery Road. Public comment is available for residents.