Florida lawmaker says some Southwest Florida fire districts may need to merge if property tax proposal passes

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — For weeks, fire chiefs across Southwest Florida have warned they could lose millions of dollars if voters approve a proposed constitutional amendment that would increase Florida's homestead exemption to $250,000.

Now, one state lawmaker says some fire departments may eventually have to look very different.

State Rep. Mike Giallombardo told WINK News that some fire districts may have to consolidate if the proposal passes and departments no longer have enough revenue to operate independently.

Many Southwest Florida fire departments operate as independent special districts. Unlike city or county fire departments, special districts rely entirely on property tax revenue to fund firefighters, equipment, stations and emergency response services.

Bonita Springs Fire Chief Greg DeWitt told WINK News his department could lose roughly $8 million over two years if voters approve the measure.

Immokalee Fire Chief Michael Choate has told WINK News his department could lose about $3.2 million, which he estimates is roughly 34% of the district's budget.

Both chiefs said they are concerned about how they would continue providing the level of service residents expect if that revenue disappears.

Giallombardo said consolidation could become one option.

"When all these fire districts were created, Lee County was kind of sporadic, and these fire districts had to be close to the people," Giallombardo said.

He argues the region has changed significantly since then.

According to Giallombardo, consolidation could happen through local voter approval or through action by state lawmakers.

"Now Lee County is getting really built out, so having, I think, like 12, 13, 14 fire districts ... they may have to look at consolidation," he said.

It would not be the first time consolidation has been proposed in Southwest Florida.

Voters in the Fort Myers Beach and Iona-McGregor fire districts will decide this November whether those two departments should merge into a single fire district.

That proposal is separate from the property tax debate, but it highlights a conversation already taking place about whether some districts could operate more efficiently by combining resources.

DeWitt told WINK News he is not opposed to exploring different options, including consolidation.

However, he questioned whether merging departments would solve the financial challenges districts could face if property tax revenue declines significantly.

DeWitt said roughly 80% of Bonita Springs Fire Control and Rescue's budget already goes toward personnel costs.

Because of that, he said he does not see how simply combining districts would make up millions of dollars in lost revenue unless staffing levels or salaries were reduced.

Florida voters will decide the fate of the proposed homestead exemption increase when it appears on the November ballot.