OVIEDO, Fla. – Oviedo city leaders on Monday voted against the final rate for the city’s fire assessment program.
The program would have introduced a mandatory fee for homeowners in Oviedo to put more funding into the city’s fire department.
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Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek told News 6 earlier this year the city hasn’t been able to meet its public safety costs for the past 14 years.
“The last time we collected enough in property taxes to cover our first responders was 2008. Since then, we have not done it again,” Sladek said.
The program would have charged the average homeowner approximately $212 during its first year, with a 10% increase per year for the next four years.
After the vote, Sladek posted on Facebook that “Oviedo won.”
“It has been a long time since I saw so many residents come and be part of the process and it was respectful, inclusive, thorough, and encouraging. THANK YOU to everyone who came out and spoke up - your input made a difference! After about 2 hours of public hearing and discussion, the vote was 5-0 to figure out another way to make ends meet. CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who was part of the process - Oviedo is moving in the right direction! #LoveOviedo,” she wrote.