N. Naples ponders impact fee hike

Big Corkscrew Fire District's done it. So has the East Naples and Golden Gate fire districts.

Now, North Naples Fire Control and Rescue District leaders are trying to decide whether they, too, want to increase impact fees. And by how much.

It might not happen, but in order to consider the possibility — and start collecting increases in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 — district employees have to file public notice by July 1. Legal notices would state that North Naples Fire Dis- trict leaders may up fees by as much as 28 cents per square foot for new residential construction and up to 99 cents per square foot for new commercial construction, officials said at Monday's meeting.

The North Naples Fire District's current residential construction fee is 15 cents per square foot; the commercial rate is 30 cents per square foot.

North Naples fire commissioners haven't raised impact fees since the fire district was created in 1992.

According to Becky Pogan, whose job title was changed at Monday's meeting from finance director to chief financial officer, Big Corkscrew's impact fees increased on Jan. 1 from 15 cents per square foot of residential construction to $1.58, and commercial construction increased from 30 cents per square foot to $1.69.

Brown

Golden Gate increased impact fees from 15 to 25 cents for residential construction and from 30 to 39 cents for commercial construction. East Naples' fees increased from 15 to 30 cents per square foot of residential construction, and from 22 to 26 cents for commercial.

If for some reason North Naples Fire District officials decide against increasing fees, no harm would be done by alerting the public that the hike is under consideration, Pogan said.

When the current fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, North Naples Fire District officials expect to have collected $1.3 million in construction impact fees.

In addition to that money — which are used exclusively for capital expenses — North Naples Fire District officials also collect a tax equal to $1 per $1,000 worth of property from all commercial property — and home — owners.

For the year ending Sept. 30, district officials expect to collect $20.8 million in property taxes.

Collier County Property Appraiser's analysts estimate that the district's tax base value will increase by $4.4 billion, or 20 percent, from the current $21.9 billion to $26.3 billion for fiscal year 2006-07, according to a June 2 memo from Pogan to new North Naples Fire Chief Mike Brown.

For the fire district, that would mean a $4.1 million increase in tax revenue in 2006-07 than the some $21 million anticipated for the fiscal year that closes on Sept. 30.

District officials won't start debating budget issues until August.

In a letter Brown read aloud to commissioners Monday, he said he will dig into the budget process and will carefully analyze and prioritize the district's needs.

Brown, 53, was hired by commissioners last month to lead the fire district, taking over from Chief Jim Webb, who retired.

Brown is a former battalion chief at the Dania Beach Fire Rescue Department. Dania is south of Fort Lauderdale and north of Hollywood.