Hallandale hikes fire fee, holds line on tax rate

Susannah Bryan
Sun Sentinel

Homeowners will pay a higher fire fee under a $64 million budget approved by commissioners in a 3-2 vote.

The residential fire fee will increase from $145 to $198 for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Homeowners will continue paying the same property tax rate of about $519 per $100,000 in assessed value. But with property values in Hallandale Beach increasing by 9.7 percent, many homeowners likely will see higher tax bills next year.

Mayor Joy Cooper joined Commissioners Anthony Sanders and Bill Julian in approving the budget. Commissioners Keith London and Michele Lazarow voted against the budget, fire fee and tax rate, saying they preferred to give residents a tax break.

To bring in the same amount of tax money next year, City Hall could have lowered the rate to around $474 per $100,000 in assessed value, London said.

But that would have created a $2 million budget hole that would have required cuts elsewhere, Cooper argued.

"I asked what programs do you want to cut and none of them came up with any direct proposals to cut services," she said.

A Hallandale Beach resident who owns a $230,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption will pay about $934.52 in city taxes. The overall tax bill will be much higher, with the county, school district and other government agencies levying their own tax rates.