Contact

Fire Rescue Headquarters
15470 Flight Path Dr.
Brooksville, Florida 34604

Phone (352) 540-4353

For Emergencies, Dial 911

Hernando County Fire Rescue District
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Frequently Asked Questions

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Fire Rescue - MSBU Rate Increase FAQ
- Am I required to attend the public hearing?
  No, your attendance is optional.
- Can you provide details on the FY2019 MSBU rate increase
  The Hernando County Board of County Commissioners is considering eliminating a fire protection advalorem tax and modifying the current fire protection Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) rates to fund the fire department. This consolidation provides for fire assessments based on a court-tested benefit methodology where fees are consistently applied to all properties within certain categories.
  
  The current hybrid fee structure includes majority funding from the MSBU plus partial funding via a 0.5 mil Fire Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) that is based on property values. In accordance with state law, the ad valorem MSTU fees are calculated differently exempting approximately 11,000 properties from the current 0.5 millage rate and homeowners with greater assessable valued property pay more for fire protection than the homeowners with lower assessed values. The MSBU fee applies to all properties equally as all benefit from fire protection.
  
  A list of frequently asked questions are available for more information.
- Does this affect every property in Hernando County?
  No. The City of Brooksville is independent from the County and has their own Fire Assessment.
- How do you decide which category on the rate schedule is charged?
  They are determined by the Property Appraiser's Department of Revenue (DOR) Use Codes for the property.
- How is the Fire Division of Hernando County Fire Rescue funded?
  The majority of funds (98.5%) come from the assessment to operate the Fire Department. We are staffed 24 hours per day and have working, well maintained equipment ready to respond when our services are needed. Our staff continually trains to maintain and learn new techniques to be more efficient to serve the County residents.
- Is there an increase in your budget over last year?
  Yes, due to increases in personnel and operational costs as well as building and maintaining our 18.5 percent reserves which equates to a 6.6 percent increase to the FY2019 HCFR expenditure budget.
- This notice is very confusing and hard to understand, where can I get more information?
  The notice is required by state law to be written within an approved structure. You may call 352-540-4353 for more information.
- What is the difference between the MSTU and MSBU?
  A MSTU is an ad valorem tax which is based on the VALUE of the property.
  A MSBU is a non-ad valorem tax which is based on a flat rate or rate structure and is a benefit to the property.
- Why do we pay Fire fees and EMS fees?
  Although the same personnel are used to operate Fire Services and Ambulance Services (EMS), the departments are funded separately. Fire Services are funded by the Fire MSBU (proposed). EMS (Ambulance Services) are funded partially by an MSTU and partially by user fees. Since an MSBU is a benefit to the property, EMS can only be funded by an MSTU.
- Why is my Fire Tax increasing from $194.70 ($172.49 + $22.21) to $253.11 ($224.27 + $28.82), assuming the caller owns a single-family residence?
  There is a proposed rate change that will:
  a. Reduce the .5 mil ad valorem taxes to zero mils for Fire; and
  b. Raise the non-ad valorem taxes. For a home of $125,000 tax value, there will actually be a net savings.
  c. Allows the cost to be even for all property owners. The ad valorem tax is based on the value of the property.
- Will businesses be affected by the rate change?
  Yes, all property types will have the same changes.

Fire Rescue General FAQ
- Can you provide details on the FY2019 MSBU rate increase
  The Hernando County Board of County Commissioners is considering eliminating a fire protection advalorem tax and modifying the current fire protection Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) rates to fund the fire department. This consolidation provides for fire assessments based on a court-tested benefit methodology where fees are consistently applied to all properties within certain categories.
  
  The current hybrid fee structure includes majority funding from the MSBU plus partial funding via a 0.5 mil Fire Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) that is based on property values. In accordance with state law, the ad valorem MSTU fees are calculated differently exempting approximately 11,000 properties from the current 0.5 millage rate and homeowners with greater assessable valued property pay more for fire protection than the homeowners with lower assessed values. The MSBU fee applies to all properties equally as all benefit from fire protection.
  
  A list of frequently asked questions are available for more information.
- -Could EMS be funded solely by a property tax, with no user transport fee?
  Yes, either County General Fund or an EMS MSTU property tax could be used to fund 100% of the EMS Division budget.
- -Could the EMS Division be funded solely by EMS transport fees?
  EMS treatment and transport fees are billed to the patient's insurance company first. Federal and State mandated maximum allowable fees for Medicare, Medicaid and HMO's do not cover the entire bill and does not allow for the remainder to be paid by the patient. Other insurance provider's also have maximum or customary charges they will pay. These amounts would not be able to solely fund the EMS Division.
- -How much is the HCFR EMS Division budget and how much comes from the tax and how much from fees?
  The FY2017/18 HCFR EMS Division expenditure budget total is $15,247,198, of which $7,474,767 is funded by EMS transport fees and $5,262,393 is funded by the MSTU 0.67 mil property tax (with the remainder being funded by miscellaneous revenue and cash reserves).
- -What would be the negatives of using only property taxes to fund EMS?
  County taxpayers would bear the entire cost of providing EMS, while the transported patient’s available Medicare, Medicaid, Tri-care, HMO and/or private health and/or vehicle insurance reimbursements to the EMS provider would go uncollected. It is important to note that many of our transported patients are not residents or taxpayers of Hernando County.
- -Why Hernando County Citizens are required to pay both an annual Emergency Medical Services (EMS) tax and when transported by ambulance, an EMS transport (user) fee?
  Hernando County funds the Hernando county Fire Rescue (HCFR) EMS Division through a combination of a Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU) property tax and user fees.
  
  To minimize the taxing impact on the entire citizenry it was decided to impact everyone for the availability of the service through the establishment of the EMS MSTU. Individuals who use the service then pay a user fee to fund the remaining cost of providing services. In this way, the taxes necessary to support EMS can be held to a minimum.
- -Why is the EMS Division not funded by the flat fee Fire Municipal Services Benefit Unit (MSBU) assessment, which is currently $194.70 for my house?
  Florida Counties are prohibited by a longstanding Florida Supreme Court ruling, against using MSBU assessments to fund EMS.

Contact

Fire Rescue - MSBU Rate Increase FAQ

Am I required to attend the public hearing?

Can you provide details on the FY2019 MSBU rate increase

Does this affect every property in Hernando County?

How do you decide which category on the rate schedule is charged?

How is the Fire Division of Hernando County Fire Rescue funded?

Is there an increase in your budget over last year?

This notice is very confusing and hard to understand, where can I get more information?

What is the difference between the MSTU and MSBU?

Why do we pay Fire fees and EMS fees?

Why is my Fire Tax increasing from $194.70 ($172.49 + $22.21) to $253.11 ($224.27 + $28.82), assuming the caller owns a single-family residence?

Will businesses be affected by the rate change?

Fire Rescue General FAQ

Can you provide details on the FY2019 MSBU rate increase

-Could EMS be funded solely by a property tax, with no user transport fee?

-Could the EMS Division be funded solely by EMS transport fees?

-How much is the HCFR EMS Division budget and how much comes from the tax and how much from fees?

-What would be the negatives of using only property taxes to fund EMS?

-Why Hernando County Citizens are required to pay both an annual Emergency Medical Services (EMS) tax and when transported by ambulance, an EMS transport (user) fee?

-Why is the EMS Division not funded by the flat fee Fire Municipal Services Benefit Unit (MSBU) assessment, which is currently $194.70 for my house?