Cape Coral fire assessment targets those least able to pay
To the editor:
A candid interview given by the City’s retained counsel and paid with taxpayers dollars, Christopher Roe, admitted that the fire assessment was designed to be imposed on those who might otherwise enjoy certain property tax discounts/exemptions?
Who are those being targeted?
In Title XIV, Chapter 196, the Florida legislature extends tax exemptions/discounts to certain classes of the less fortunate. This deserving class of people includes hemiplegics, quadriplegics, surviving spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty, blind persons, paraplegics, disabled veterans, surviving spouses of disabled veterans, service members deployed overseas, those confined to wheelchairs and others similarly situated. The fire assessment is drawn to get around this protection. Additionally he specifically mentions those with a Homestead Exemption and those that had lower values on their homes were not paying their share. This also impacts senior citizens who get an additional exemption when they reach a certain age. Mr. Roe’s comments are on video which can be accessed at www.winknews.com/2014/12/04/cape-coral-residents-take-fire-assessment-fight-to-supreme-court/
The City Manager, Mayor and Council need to hear from you via email at jszerlag@capecoral.net; council@capecoral.net; msawicki@capecoral.net or call the City Manager at 574-0451, the Council at 574-0437, the Mayor at 574-0436. Let them know very clearly how you feel.
This targeting of those determined by the legislature to need protection demonstrates the level of callous greed that sits on the dais in Cape Coral when they step around the law because of greed!. This is what we get when we don’t vote. Remember this when it is time for the next City election.
The residents of Cape Coral desperately need better representation on the dais. We need representation that will stand with the residents! Vote out all incumbents next November!
Lynn Rosko
Cape Coral