Newberry Increases Fire Fee After Heated Debate

NEWBERRY – After hours of debate and public comment, the Newberry City Commission voted Aug. 25, 2025, to set the city’s final fire assessment rate at $300 per residential property.

The vote came after weeks of discussion and public workshops. Although the previously discussed rate of $419 per residential unit was listed in the Alachua County Property Appraiser’s Truth in Millage (TRIM) Notice, City Staff recommended a reduced rate of $300 per residential unit for a final assessment

The commission ultimately approved the measure in a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Monty Farnsworth opposing.

Public Pushback and Calls for Broader Solutions

More than 10 residents and business owners voiced concerns over the increase, which marks the first change in three years. The commission had previously held the rate steady at $200 per residential unit, but officials said that amount was no longer sustainable.

Former commissioner Jason McGehee argued that the city could have avoided the steep increase if past boards had raised the rate incrementally, suggesting $25 annual increases as a way to reduce the impact on households.

Others focused on the burden for businesses. Industrial property is assessed at $0.09 per square foot, which drew objections from business owner Todd Russo. Russo said that much of the 119,000 square feet attributed to his company falls under canopy space, yet is still billed at the industrial rate. City officials explained that the county, not the city, determines industrial square footage. City Manager Jordan Marlowe said he would accompany Russo to meet with county staff on the issue.

Some residents urged commissioners to look beyond rate increases. Developer Trip Norfleet said the city should review its budget more carefully, while resident Sherry French called for expanding the commercial tax base to ease the load on homeowners.

Assistant City Manager and CFO Dallas Lee presented comparison tables showing that funding fire services through property tax increases would ultimately cost residents more than the flat assessment. Lee also explained that the fire assessment ensures costs are distributed evenly across property types.

Several speakers said they had not been aware of earlier workshops and urged the city to expand its outreach. Marlowe noted that Newberry maintains an email notification list for all meetings, but residents must sign up to receive those messages.

The fire assessment dominated the meeting agenda, extending the commission meeting to nearly five hours. Commissioners twice voted to extend the session, first beyond 11 p.m. and later to 11:30 p.m., before finally approving the new rate.

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