The Lehigh Fire District property tax revenue of $7.2 million is insufficient to pay even the $7.9 million in salaries of district employees in the new budget. Additionally there is $4.6 million in the budget for employee benefits. Total operating expenditures are estimated to be $14.4 million in the next fiscal year which begins on October 1, 2010.

The district is covering the multimillion dollar shortfall with a grant from Washington and money from the reserve account. But this money will run out and the bailouts from Washington will have to come to an end if this nation is not to go the way of Greece and become bankrupt.

The commissioners and staff want to solve their money problems by raising your taxes. In the past several years they have raised taxes to the maximum. They want a new tax, a per acre assessment. But they have a big problem – it requires the approval of the voters.

The voters of the Iona McGregor Fire District will vote on a per acre assessment for their district on August 24. The firefighters union is engaged in a deceitful and dishonest campaign to gain approval by the voters.

They have sent out a mailer with the claim that if the voters approve the fire readiness assessment than property taxes will be reduced. This is untrue. A favorable vote will establish a new additional tax. There is no requirement that the property fire tax be reduced.

Although there has been a few adjustments in pay the prevailing attitude is that almost everyone is entitled to $100,000 a year and $100,000 a year pension. The bailouts are all about maintaining the lush standard of living of public employee union members.

The average per capita income of Lehigh Acres is $21,000 a year. It is long overdue that financial responsibility be reestablished. In the past 10 years has your pay and benefits increased by more than 100%?

Having built two new fire stations because they had the money from impact fees, the fire commission is now talking about demolishing the fire station on the Homestead Road and building a new one. If the Homestead fire station needed replacement why wasn’t this priority number one?

Our major problem in the Lehigh area is brush fires. More than 75 percent of the firefighters in the United States are volunteers. At a minimal cost we could establish a 25-member brigade of certified firefighters to be available to fight brush fires during the dry season. More than 300 people applied for the new positions added on August 9.

Employee benefit compensation is salary plus 57 percent. This is almost double the benefits in the private sector. This must be changed.

When the average person pays more than half of their income in taxes, house insurance, auto insurance, utilities, house payment, and auto payment, then the ability of the taxpayer to pay for the overpaid and lavish public sector has come to an end.

We the voters and taxpayers of Lehigh Acres have less than two years to reorganize and make cost effective the fire service.

The fire commissioners canceled the budget workshops for August 17 and 26. Budget issues were discussed at the next regular fire board meeting on Wednesday, August 19 at 4 p.m. at Veterans Park.

I do not have all the ideas. Many of you have knowledge and experience that could help us get out of this financial mess.

Kevin Shea lives in Lehigh Acres.