Shortly after the beginning of the budget meeting on Aug. 27, the Lehigh Fire Board voted 5-0 to postpone indefinitely the proposed $100 per parcel special assessment election.

Earlier, a spokeswoman in the Supervisor of Elections had said the vote could not be held in December as originally requested by the fire board.

In a prior meeting commissioner Ralph Hemingway had strong supported the election and had joined the two fire union members in a 3-2 vote to go forward with a special election.

In a quick reversal of his position, he said, “but looking it over, the atmosphere of the community even if you put maple syrup, molasses, and sugar on top of it and tie a vote assessments fee with a lower millage fee to 2.75, I cannot see how financially it would have community support.”

“I cannot see how we have the money to have a ballot,” he said.

Commissioner Joel Guzman said delaying it would give the public a chance to see how the District performs with reduced services.

If the District later decides to go forward at a later date it can again set the issue on its agenda.

The District could hold a vote in 2010 at the time of the primary election on Aug. 24 or the general election on Nov. 2, without costing the District the special election fees, according to Richard Pringle, the board’s attorney.

This year, the Lehigh Acres Fire District experienced a 49 percent decrease in its ad valorem property tax revenue, its major source of income.

In order to balance the 2009-2010 budget required by state law, the fire chief has laid off 35 firefighters, closed Fire Station 5 on Milwaukee Blvd., and reduced ambulances from five to three.

During the meeting, he presented a proposed budget with 72 firefighters and ambulance service.

Discussions continue with Lee County to fully take over the ambulance service. The residents of Lehigh in their county taxes pay for ambulance service.

They now provide backup service and air flights. In the last five years, residents have paid Lee County $8.2 million for EMS service.

A closer look at the new budget shows expenditures of $12,482,058.

However, property taxes will only be $9,299,879. Ambulance billings are estimated to provide $1 million in revenue.

Thus, more than $2 million will be taken from reserves to cover the deficit.

Going forward, the property tax revenue in the 2010 – 2011 budget year is projected to decline another 20 percent to $7,439,903, thus the fire district revenue and expenditures are not in true balance.

At the next budget board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. at East Lee County High School, the board will consider adoption of the budget.

The school is located behind the Milwaukee and Bell Blvd. fire station at 715 Thomas Sherwin Ave.

In other action, the board postponed consideration of the line of credit from SunTrust Bank until its next regular meeting on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. at Veterans Park.

During the meeting last week, Chief Don Adams said he had no plans for more layoffs, despite rumors being sent via email by someone who had run for the board and lost in the last election.