An update to the annual fire assessment process is provided below.
On April 2, 2026, the City Council authorized the utilization of a cooperative purchasing agreement with Alfred Benesch & Company for a fire assessment study update for Fiscal Year 2026-27 in an amount not to exceed $79,810. To align this update with the Ocala Fire Department union negotiation timeline, management decided to postpone this activity until next fiscal year. Doing this will incorporate budget increases associated with the negotiation process into next year’s budget, which will then serve as the basis for the fire assessment study update. Therefore, the study update contract, which had not been executed, was withdrawn.
A formal quote was issued to update the fire assessment tax roll, with no proposed increase in assessment rates. Alfred Benesch & Company was the sole responder to this process and was awarded the contract totaling $21,955. The contract was executed, and work is underway.
Part of the annual fire assessment process includes publishing the public hearing date in the Truth in Millage (TRIM) document mailed by the Property Appraiser each year. The public hearing date must be provided to the Marion County Property Appraiser’s Office no later than Friday, June 19.
Statutorily, the public hearing must be held no sooner than 20 days after the mailing of the TRIM notice, which is scheduled for August 20, 2026. Therefore, the public hearing can only be held between Wednesday, September 9, 2026, and Monday, September 14, 2026, which would require a special meeting.