HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-2025-097 Fire Preliminary AssessmentRESOLUTION NO. 2025-097
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DANIA
BEACH, FLORIDA, RELATING TO THE IMPOSITION OF FIRE RESCUE
ASSESSMENTS AND THE PROVISION OF FIRE SERVICES,
FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS WITHIN THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH,
FLORIDA; PROVIDING AUTHORITY; PROVIDING FOR PROVISION
AND FUNDING OF FIRE SERVICES; PROVIDING FOR IMPOSITION
AND COLLECTION OF SUCH ASSESSMENTS; PROVIDING
LEGISLATIVE DETERMINATIONS OF SPECIAL BENEFIT AND FAIR
APPORTIONMENT; PROVIDING UPDATED ASSESSMENT
CALCULATIONS; ESTABLISHING PRELIMINARY NOT-TO-EXCEED
ASSESSMENT RATES FOR FIRE ASSESSMENTS TO PROVIDE FOR
THE PROVISION OF FIRE SERVICES, FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2025; DIRECTING
THE PREPARATION OF A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT ROLL;
AUTHORIZING A PUBLIC HEARING AND DIRECTING THE
PROVISION OF MAILED AND PUBLISHED NOTICE OF SUCH
HEARING; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR
SEVERABILITY; FURTHER, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, in July of 1996, the City of Dania Beach ("City") implemented a Fire
Rescue Assessment to provide a portion of the funding for the City's fire rescue services
and facilities with the adoption of Ordinance No. 10-96, subsequently codified as Chapter
23, Article VIII of the City of Dania Beach Code of Ordinances (the "Fire Assessment
Ordinance"), and imposed fire rescue assessments for Fiscal Year 1997-1998 with the
adoption of Resolution No. 63-96 also referred to as Resolution No. 1996-063 (the 'Initial
Assessment Resolution") and Resolution No. 72-96 also referred to as Resolution No. 1996-
72 (the "Final Assessment Resolution", and together with the Initial Assessment Resolution,
the "Initial Resolutions"); and
WHEREAS, the Fire Assessment Ordinance sets forth the process for annual
administration of the Fire Rescue Assessments which includes adoption of (i) a Preliminary
Rate Resolution describing the method of assessing fire rescue costs against Assessed
Property located within the City, directing the preparation of an Assessment Roll, authorizing
a public hearing and directing the provision of notice of such hearing, and (ii) an Annual Rate
Resolution adopting the final assessment rates and directing billing and collection of the Fire
Rescue Assessments for the forthcoming Fiscal Year; and
2 RESOLUTION #2025-097
WHEREAS, in each year subsequent to 1996, the City has adopted the annual
resolutions required by the Fire Assessment Ordinance for annual imposition and collection
of the Fire Rescue Assessments; and
WHEREAS, to facilitate the understanding of the public and simplify the
administration of the Fire Rescue Assessments, the City adopted Resolution No. 2017-084
and Resolution No. 2017-105 (collectively, the "2017 Resolutions") which superseded and
supplanted all prior resolutions adopted pursuant to the Fire Assessment Ordinance without
affecting the validity or effectiveness of any of the Fire Rescue Assessments adopted and
imposed by such prior resolutions; and
WHEREAS, in each year subsequent to 2017, the City has adopted Preliminary Rate
Resolutions and Annual Rate Resolutions in accordance with the requirements of the Fire
Assessment Ordinance (such resolutions, together with the 2017 Resolutions, are referred
to herein as the "Prior Assessment Resolutions"); and
WHEREAS, the City engaged the rate consulting firm Raftelis Financial Consultants,
Inc. ("Raftelis") to prepare a study updating the data and methodology used by the City to
calculate the Fire Rescue Assessment imposed against each property; and
WHEREAS, a copy of the FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study prepared by Raftelis
(the "2025 Methodology Study") is attached hereto as Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Dania Beach, Florida, deems it to be in
the best interest of the citizens and residents of the City of Dania Beach to adopt this Preliminary
Rate Resolution to begin the process of imposing Fire Rescue Assessments and approving and
certifying the Assessment roll for the Fiscal Year commencing October 1, 2025 ("Fiscal Year
2025-26").
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA:
Section 1. Authority. This Resolution is adopted pursuant to the provisions of the Fire
Rescue Assessment Ordinance, the Prior Assessment Resolutions, Florida Statutes 166.021, 166.041
and 197.3632, and other applicable provisions of law.
Section 2. Definitions, Purpose and Findings. Capitalized terms not otherwise
defined herein shall have the meanings assigned in the Fire Assessment Ordinance and Prior
Assessment Resolutions. This Resolution constitutes the Preliminary Rate Resolution for Fiscal
Year 2025-26 which initiates the annual process for updating the Assessment Roll. This
3 RESOLUTION #2025-097
Resolution ratifies, confirms and supplements the Fire Assessment Ordinance and Prior
Assessment Resolutions. The recital clauses set forth above are incorporated herein as the
legislative finding of the City Commission. All recitals and legislative findings concerning
the special benefit conveyed by fire rescue services and facilities and the fair and reasonable
apportionment of the Fire Rescue Assessments set forth in the Fire Assessment Ordinance
and Prior Assessment Resolutions are specifically ratified, confirmed and incorporated in
this Resolution.
Section 3. Provision and Funding of Fire Services. Upon the imposition of Fire
Rescue Assessments for fire services, facilities, or programs against Assessed Property located
within the City, the City shall provide fire services to such Assessed Property. A portion of the
cost to provide such fire services, facilities, or programs shall be funded from proceeds of the
Fire Rescue Assessments. The remaining costs required to provide fire services, facilities, or
programs shall be funded by lawfully available City revenues other than Fire Rescue Assessment
proceeds. No emergency medical services ("EMS") costs are included in the Fire Rescue
Assessment, and EMS costs shall not be funded by Fire Rescue Assessment proceeds. It is
ascertained, determined, and declared by this Resolution that each parcel of Assessed Property located
within the City will be benefited by the City's provision of fire services, facilities, or programs in an
amount not less than the Fire Rescue Assessment imposed against such parcel, computed in the
manner as set forth in this Preliminary Rate Resolution.
Section 4. Imposition and Computation of Fire Rescue Assessments. The 2026
Methodology Study describing the method of apportioning the Fire Rescue Assessments among
Assessed Property, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A, is hereby approved, adopted
and incorporated herein by reference. Fire Rescue Assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-26 shall be
imposed against all Assessed Property based on the apportionment methodology for the Fire
Rescue Assessment approved by the Prior Assessment Resolutions as updated in the 2026
Methodology Study using the Fire Class Codes and Fire Basis data maintained by the Broward
County Property Appraiser for each Assessed Property.
Section 5. Legislative Determinations of Special Benefit and Fair
Apportionment. Adoption of this Resolution constitutes a legislative determination that all
parcels assessed derive a special benefit from the provision of fire rescue services, facilities and
programs, and that the Fire Assessed Costs are apportioned fairly and reasonably among Assessed
Properties, consistent with the 2026 Methodology Study and the legislative declarations,
4 RESOLUTION #2025-097
determinations and findings as set forth in the Fire Assessment Ordinance and Prior Assessment
Resolutions.
Section 6. Determination of Fire Assessed Costs; Establishment of Proposed
Not-to-Exceed Fire Rescue Assessment Rates. The Fire Assessed Cost to be assessed and
apportioned among Assessed Property for Fiscal Year 2025-26 is $ 8,963,913 which
represents 100% of the City's fire-related costs for Fiscal Year 2025-26 which are eligible
for funding through the Fire Rescue Assessments. The remainder of such Fiscal Year budget
for fire rescue services, facilities, and programs shall be funded from lawfully available City
revenue other than Fire Rescue Assessment proceeds. The proposed Not-to-Exceed Fire
Rescue Assessment Rates to generate the Fire Assessed Cost for such Fiscal Year are
presented below. The approval of the Proposed Fire Rescue Assessment Rate Schedule by
the adoption of this Preliminary Rate Resolution determines the maximum amount of the
Fire Assessed Cost and the maximum, or not-to-exceed, rates that may be imposed and
collected for the upcoming fiscal year.
PROPOSED NOT-TO-EXCEED FIRE RESCUE ASSESSMENT RATES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 PROPERTY USE CATEGORIES RATE BASIS RATE
Residential Per Dwelling Unit $ 270.76
Acreage/Vacant Per Acre $ 72.87
Commercial Per Square Foot $ 0.4177
Industrial/Warehouse Per Square Foot $ 0.0513
Section 7. Preliminary Assessment Roll. The City Manager or designee is
directed to prepare, or cause to be prepared, an updated Preliminary Assessment Roll for
Fiscal Year 2025-26, in the manner provided in the Fire Assessment Ordinance and this
Resolution. The updated Assessment Roll shall include all Assessed Properties within the
Fire Class Code categories and incorporate the Proposed Rates referenced in Section 6 above.
Any property uses or classifications which were exempted from payment of the Fire Rescue
Assessments by the Prior Assessment Resolutions shall be exempted from the Fire Rescue
Assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-26. The City Manager or designee shall apportion the
estimated Fire Assessed Cost to be recovered through Fire Rescue Assessments in the manner
5 RESOLUTION #2025-097
approved and adopted in this Resolution. A copy of this Preliminary Rate Resolution, the
Fire Assessment Ordinance, the Prior Assessment Resolutions, the 2026 Methodology Study,
documentation related to the estimated amount of the Fire Assessed Cost to be recovered
through the imposition of Fire Rescue Assessments, and the updated preliminary Assessment
Roll shall be maintained on file in the office of the City Clerk and open to public inspection.
The foregoing shall not be construed to require that the updated Preliminary Assessment Roll
proposed for Fiscal Year 2025-26 be in printed form if the amount of the Fire Rescue
Assessment for each parcel of Assessed Property can be determined by the use of a computer
terminal available to the public.
It is ascertained, determined, and declared by this Resolution that the method of
determining the Fire Rescue Assessments for fire services as set forth in this Preliminary Rate
Resolution is a fair and reasonable method of apportioning the Fire Assessed Cost among
parcels of Assessed Property located within the City.
Section 8. Authorization of Public Hearing. There is established a public
hearing to be held at 7:00 p.m. on September 15, 2025, in the City of Dania Beach City
Commission Chamber, 100 West Dania Beach Boulevard, Dania Beach, Florida, at which
time the City Commission will receive and consider any comments on the Fire Rescue
Assessments. At the conclusion of such public hearing, the City Commission will consider
adoption of the Annual Rate Resolution for Fiscal Year 2025-26 imposing the Fire Rescue
Assessments for such Fiscal Year, approving and certifying the final Assessment Roll, and
providing for collection of the assessments on the same bill as ad valorem taxes. Adoption of
the Annual Rate Resolution after the public hearing and approval of the final Assessment Roll
shall be the final adjudication of the issues presented therein (including, but not limited to,
the determination of special benefit and fair apportionment, the method of apportionment, the
Fire Rescue Assessment rates, the final Assessment Roll and the levy, collection and lien of
the Fire Rescue Assessments), unless proper steps shall be initiated in a court of competent
jurisdiction to secure relief within 20 days from the adoption of the Annual Rate Resolution.
Section 9. Notice of Publication. The City Clerk shall publish a notice of the
public hearing authorized by Section 8 of this Preliminary Rate Resolution in the manner
and time provided in Section 23-98 of the Ordinance.
6 RESOLUTION #2025-097
Section 10. Notice by Mail. The Director of Finance shall provide information on the
public hearing and the proposed not-to-exceed rates to the Broward County Property Appraiser's
Office to be included in the TRIM (Truth in Millage) Notice to serve as first class notice as
required by the Fire Assessment Ordinance.
Section 11. Application of Assessment Proceeds. Proceeds derived by the City from
the Fire Rescue Assessments will be utilized for the provision of fire services, facilities, and
programs and will not be used for any EMS costs or services. In the event there is any unexpended
or uncommitted assessment revenue remaining at the end of the Fiscal Year, such balance shall
be carried forward and used only to fund fire services, facilities, and programs.
Section 12. Conflict. That all resolutions or parts of resolutions in conflict with this
Resolution are superseded and supplanted to the extent of such conflict.
Section 13. Severability. That if any clause, section, other part or application of this
Resolution is held by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or invalid, in part
or application, it shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions or applications of this
Resolution.
Section 14. Effective Date. That this Resolution shall be in force and take effect
immediately upon its passage and adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED on July 8, 2025.
Motion by Vice Mayor Salvino, second by Commissioner Lewellen.
FINAL VOTE ON ADOPTION: Unanimous X
Yes No
Commissioner Lori Lewellen ____ ____
Commissioner Luis Rimoli ____ ____
Commissioner Archibald J. Ryan IV ____ ____
Vice Mayor Marco Salvino ____ ____
Mayor Joyce L. Davis ____ ____
SIGNATURES ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE
7 RESOLUTION #2025-097
ATTEST:
ELORA RIERA, MMC JOYCE L. DAVIS CITY CLERK MAYOR
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS:
EVE A. BOUTSIS
CITY ATTORNEY
8 RESOLUTION #2025-097
EXHIBIT A FY 2025-2026 Fire Services Assessment Study (“2026 Methodology Study”)
Dated June 06, 2025 Prepared by Raftelis Financial Consultants
CITY OF DANIA BEACH
FY 2026 Fire Services
Assessment Study
DRAFT REPORT / June 6, 2025
341 N. Maitland Avenue, Suite 300, Maitland, FL 32751
www.raftelis.com
June 6, 2025
Yeimy Guzman
Chief Financial Officer
City of Dania Beach
100 W Dania Beach Blvd
Dania Beach, FL 33004
Subject: FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study
Dear Ms. Guzman:
Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc. (Raftelis) is pleased to present this Draft Report of the FY 2026 Fire Services
Assessment Study that we have conducted for the City of Dania Beach. This report presents the analysis of the
study for consideration and adoption of the initial resolution hearing. Please review and provide us with any
comments, requests for revisions, or additional scenarios. Upon receipt of any requested changes, we will issue a
Final Draft for review, followed by the Final Report for your records.
We appreciate the opportunity to be of service to the City and would like to thank the City staff for their valuable
assistance and cooperation throughout the course of this study.
Respectfully Submitted,
Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc.
Joe Williams
Senior Manager
Erick van Malssen
Senior Consultant
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study
Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................... 1
Introduction ...........................................................................................................................1
Study Procedures ..................................................................................................................1
Summary of Study Results ...................................................................................................1
Full (100%) Cost Recovery Rate Calculation ............................................................................. 1
Partial Cost Recovery Rate Calculation – Revenue Neutral Rates ............................................ 2
Section 1 – Introduction ................................................................... 4
Background ...........................................................................................................................4
Methodology ..........................................................................................................................4
Section 2 – Fire Services Costs ....................................................... 7
Fire and Rescue Service Allocation .....................................................................................7
Calculation of the Net Revenue Requirement .....................................................................8
Section 3 – Calculation of the Fire Assessment ........................... 10
Assessment Property Classifications ............................................................................... 10
Calls For Service Analysis ................................................................................................. 12
Apportionment of the Net Revenue Requirement ............................................................ 13
Fire Assessment Rate Calculation ..................................................................................... 13
Full (100%) Cost Recovery Rate Calculation ........................................................................... 13
Partial Cost Recovery Rate Calculation – Revenue Neutral Rate Target Scenario .................. 14
Consideration of Fair Apportionment of Assessment ..................................................... 15
Section 4 – Summary of Recommendations .................................. 17
Section 5 – Appendix A .................................................................. 18
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study
List of Tables and Figures
Table ES 1 – FY 2026 Assessment Rate Calculation – Full (100%) Cost Recovery ................................. 2
Table ES 2 – Net Billed and Estimated Collected Revenue – Full (100%) Cost Recovery ........................ 2
Table ES 3 – FY 2026 Assessment Rate Calculation – Revenue Neutral Rate Target Scenario -
$8,126,500 Net Revenue (94.44% Cost Recovery) .................................................................................. 3
Table ES 4 – Revenue Neutral Rate Target Scenario - Net Billed and Estimated Collected Revenue
(includes deduction of exemptions) - $8,126,500 Target Revenue ........................................................... 3
Table 1 – Current FY 2024 Fire Assessment Rates ................................................................................. 4
Table 2 – Allocation of Personnel between Fire and Rescue ................................................................... 8
Table 3 – Calculation and Projection of the Net Revenue Requirement ................................................... 9
Table 4 – Identified Units by BCPA Fire Class Category ........................................................................ 11
Table 5 – Fire Call Allocation to Real Property, by Property Type .......................................................... 12
Table 6 – Allocation of FY 2026 Net Revenue Requirement .................................................................. 13
Table 7 – FY 2026 Assessment Rate Calculation – Full (100%) Cost Recovery .................................... 13
Table 8 – Net Billed and Estimated Collected Revenue – Full (100%) Cost Recovery ........................... 14
Table 9 – FY 2026 Assessment Rate Calculation – Revenue Neutral Rate Target Scenario - $8,126,500
Net Revenue (94.44% Cost Recovery) .................................................................................................. 14
Table 10 - Revenue Neutral Rate Target Scenario - Net Billed and Estimated Collected Revenue
(includes deduction of exemptions) - $8,126,500 Target Revenue ......................................................... 15
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
The City of Dania Beach (“the City”) has annually levied and collected a Non-Ad Valorem Fire Assessment
against benefitted properties within the City to fund the provision of fire services beginning Fiscal Year (FY) 1997.
The City annually considers the continuance of the Fire Assessment program and the amount to be funded for Fire
Services. This study intends to update the Fire Assessment program using current property, cost, and calls for
service data. The calls for service data used to provide the basis of Fire Service cost allocation to property types can
change over time, therefore periodic updates to the Fire Assessment calculations are required to accurately and
fairly reflect current allocation parameters to benefited properties.
In accordance with Florida Law, the costs associated with providing Fire Services and facilities must be reasonably
apportioned to the properties that receive a benefit from Fire Service in proportion to the benefit received.
Therefore, the recommended Fire Assessments calculated in this study were developed such that the costs incurred
by the City in providing Fire Service will be recovered through assessments to properties in proportion to the
benefit received by the demand for service as reflected in the calls for service from each respective property class.
Study Procedures
The study first identifies the full Fire Services cost requirements for FY 2026 that recognizes the high level of
service traditionally provided by Broward Sherrif’s Office (BSO) and the City. This was accomplished by first
allocating the full FY 2026 Proposed Fire Department budget between Fire Services and Emergency Medical
Services (EMS) as required by Florida state statute. We also projected annual cost requirements for providing Fire
Services in each year of a multi-year projection period from FY 2026 through FY 2030. This was accomplished
through interactive work sessions with City staff to confirm allocation parameters, cost escalation rates, and the
projected capital improvement plan.
The FY 2026 Fire Service Net Revenue Requirement identified in the budget allocation and projection process was
then apportioned to each property class based upon National Fire Incident Reporting System (NIFRS) calls for
service data provided by the BSO. Current Fire Rescue Non-Ad Valorem Assessment Roll and Property data
provided by the Broward County Property Appraiser was used as the primary data source for assigning assessment
units to each parcel. Property classifications were based upon the currently assigned Fire Class Codes for each
parcel as maintained on the Property Appraiser’s database. Once the allocation to property classes was complete,
the Fire Assessment rate structure was developed and specific Fire Assessment rates for each property class were
developed.
Summary of Study Results
Full (100%) Cost Recovery Rate Calculation
To calculate the FY 2026 Fire Assessments, we utilized the apportioned costs and total units per property
classification as discussed in detail in subsequent sections of this report. The amount of assessable costs allocable to
each property class was divided by the number of assessment units identified in each property class to compute the
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 2
Fire Assessment to be imposed against each parcel. Table ES 1 below presents the calculated FY 2026 Assessment
Rates at full (100%) cost recovery, as well as a comparison of the existing FY 2026 Assessment Rates:
Table ES 1 – FY 2026 Assessment Rate Calculation – Full (100%) Cost Recovery
While the full cost FY 2026 Net Revenue Requirement is apportioned to all properties, the actual revenue realized
will be less because exempted property is included in the apportionment but cannot be billed/assessed. In
addition, a 96% budget adjustment factor was used to calculate the estimated net collected revenue after accounting
for early payment discounts to the assessment bills. Table ES 2 below presents the estimated net billed and
estimated assessment revenue at full (100%) cost recovery.
Table ES 2 – Net Billed and Estimated Collected Revenue – Full (100%) Cost Recovery
Partial Cost Recovery Rate Calculation – Revenue Neutral Rates
The City has requested Raftelis to calculate the assessments with the latest call and property data, targeting the
same revenue that would be generated with the current adopted (FY 2025) rates. The Broward County Property
Appraiser’s data shows that the current adopted rates would generate $8,465,100 (rounded) in billed assessment
revenues. With the 96% budgetary adjustment/discount applied, the current rates would collect an estimated
$8,126,500 (rounded) in net revenues. To accomplish the revenue target, the full cost NRR was reduced to
94.44% of the total potential costs. Table ES 3 below presents the rate calculations for this revenue target, while
Table ES 4 shows the calculation of the target revenue.
BCPA Category
Description
BCPA
Code
Call
Allocation %
Allocated FY
2026 NRR
Allocated
Units Unit Type
FY 2026 -
Calculated
Rates per Unit
FY 2025 -
Current Rates
per Unit
Acreage (Vacant)A 0.54%52,880$ 726 Acre 72.87$ 85.23$
Commercial C 39.99%3,937,175$ 9,424,503 Sq Ft 0.4177$ 0.4213$
Residential R 50.93%5,014,009$ 18,518 Dwelling Unit 270.76$ 241.05$
Warehouse/Industrial W 3.47%341,318$ 6,650,500 Sq Ft 0.0513$ 0.0488$
Government, Exempt X 4.30%423,042$ 645,248 Sq Ft 0.6556$ N/A
Not For Profit, Exempt Y 0.78%76,917$ 446,157 Sq Ft 0.1723$ N/A
100.00%9,845,342$
BCPA Category
Description
BCPA
Code
Allocated
Assessment
Less:
Exemptions
Total Billed
Assessment
Acreage (Vacant)A 52,880$ (2,856)$ 50,025$
Commercial C 3,937,175$ (133,606)$ 3,803,569$
Residential R 5,014,009$ (242,406)$ 4,771,603$
Warehouse/Industrial W 341,318$ (2,602)$ 338,716$
Government, Exempt X 423,042$ (423,042)$ -$
Not For Profit, Exempt Y 76,917$ (76,917)$ -$
9,845,342$ (881,429)$ 8,963,913$
Budgetary Adjustment/Discount 96%
FY 2026 Estimated Collected Revenue 8,605,356$
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 3
Table ES 3 – FY 2026 Assessment Rate Calculation – Revenue Neutral Rate Target Scenario -
$8,126,500 Net Revenue (94.44% Cost Recovery)
Table ES 4 – Revenue Neutral Rate Target Scenario - Net Billed and Estimated Collected Revenue
(includes deduction of exemptions) - $8,126,500 Target Revenue
BCPA Category
Description
BCPA
Code
Call
Allocation %
Allocated FY
2026 NRR
Allocated
Units Unit Type
FY 2026 -
Calculated
Rates per Unit
FY 2025 -
Current Rates
per Unit
Acreage (Vacant)A 0.54%49,940$ 726 Acre 68.82$ 85.23$
Commercial C 39.99%3,718,268$ 9,424,503 Sq Ft 0.3945$ 0.4213$
Residential R 50.93%4,735,231$ 18,518 Dwelling Unit 255.70$ 241.05$
Warehouse/Industrial W 3.47%322,341$ 6,650,500 Sq Ft 0.0484$ 0.0488$
Government, Exempt X 4.30%399,521$ 645,248 Sq Ft 0.6191$ N/A
Not For Profit, Exempt Y 0.78%72,640$ 446,157 Sq Ft 0.1628$ N/A
100.00%9,297,941$
BCPA Category
Description
BCPA
Code
Allocated
Assessment
Less:
Exemptions
Total Billed
Assessment
Acreage (Vacant)A 49,940$ (2,696)$ 47,244$
Commercial C 3,718,268$ (125,958)$ 3,592,310$
Residential R 4,735,231$ (229,029)$ 4,506,201$
Warehouse/Industrial W 322,341$ (2,773)$ 319,568$
Government, Exempt X 399,521$ (399,521)$ -$
Not For Profit, Exempt Y 72,640$ (72,640)$ -$
9,297,941$ (832,617)$ 8,465,324$
Budgetary Adjustment/Discount 96%
FY 2026 Estimated Collected Revenue 8,126,711$
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 4
Section 1 – Introduction
Background
The City of Dania Beach (“the City”) has annually levied and collected a Non-Ad Valorem Fire Assessment
against benefitted properties within the City to fund the provision of fire services beginning Fiscal Year 1997. The
City annually considers the continuance of the Fire Assessment program and the amount to be funded for Fire
Services. This study intends to update the Fire Assessment program using current property, cost and calls for
service data. The City’s current FY 2025 Fire Assessment rates by property class are presented in Table 1 below.
These rates produced an estimated net collections of approximately $7.5 million upon issuance in FY 2025.
Table 1 – Current FY 2024 Fire Assessment Rates
The calls for service data used to provide the basis of Fire Service cost allocation to property types can change over
time, therefore periodic updates to the Fire Assessment calculations are required to accurately and fairly reflect
current allocation parameters to benefited properties.
The term “Fire Services” as used in this study refers to the twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week service
for fire suppression provided to City properties. The City has previously determined that the owners of property
benefited by the proposed Fire Services should share in funding these services by imposition of non-ad valorem
assessments. The City can fund through assessments up to 100% of the net Fire Services assessable costs,
estimated to be $9,845,342 in fiscal year 2026, as detailed in subsequent sections of this report. The City contracts
with the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) for Fire Rescue Services and it also has legacy pension and other City
costs that must continue to be funded in addition to those pension costs charged by BSO.
Methodology
The development of a Non-Ad Valorem Assessment to fund Fire Services requires that the services and facilities
for which properties are to be assessed confer a special benefit upon the property burdened by the special
assessment. Simply stated, there must be a logical relationship between the services and facilities provided and the
benefit to real property assessed.
In addition to the special benefit requirement, the costs associated with providing the services and facilities must be
reasonably apportioned to the properties that receive a benefit from Fire Service in proportion to the benefit
received. Therefore, the recommended Fire Assessments calculated in this study were developed such that the
costs incurred by the City in providing Fire Service will be recovered through assessments to properties in
proportion to the benefit received by the demand for service as reflected in the calls for service from each respective
property class.
BCPA Category
Description
Current Rates
per Unit Unit Type
Acreage (Vacant)85.23$ Acre
Commercial 0.4213$ Sq Ft
Residential 241.05$ Dwelling Unit
Warehouse/Industrial 0.0488$ Sq Ft
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 5
This part of the report describes the assessment methodology used to develop the Fire Assessments. The first
section discusses relevant Florida Law regarding Special Non-Ad Valorem Assessments, followed by sections
discussing how Florida Law has been applied to the determination of special benefit and the apportionment of the
annual revenue requirements of the Fire Assessment to benefitting properties.
SUMMARY OF RELEVANT FLORIDA LAW GOVERNING SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS
This section discusses relevant Florida Law regarding special non-ad valorem assessments as it relates to the City’s
proposed Fire Assessment program. The discussion covers how Florida law relates to special benefit and
proportional benefit.
Special non-ad valorem assessments are a revenue source available to local governments in Florida to fund capital
improvements as well as operations and maintenance expenses for essential services such as roads, drainage, Fire
Services, utilities, etc. Florida case law has established two requirements for the imposition of a non-ad valorem
special assessment. These two requirements have become known as the “two-pronged test”. They are 1) the
property assessed must derive a special benefit from the improvement, service or facilities provided, and 2) the
assessment must be fairly and reasonably apportioned among the properties that receive the special benefit.
In considering special benefit, the following question must be considered, “Can a special benefit be derived from
Fire Service by all properties within the City to meet the first prong of the two pronged test, even if all properties
are not improved and/or do not receive calls for service?”. The answer is yes, based in part upon the Florida
Supreme Court determination in Fire District No. 1 of Polk County v. Jenkins, a sufficient special benefit is derived by
the availability of fire services to justify the imposition of the special assessment. Also, in Meyer v. City of Oakland
Park, the Court upheld a sewer assessment on both improved and unimproved property, stating that the benefit
need not be direct or immediate but must be substantial, certain and capable of being realized within a reasonable
time. Also, In City of Hallandale v. Meekins, the Court indicated that the proper measure of benefits accruing to
property from the assessed improvement was not limited to the existing use of the property, but extended to any
future use which could reasonably be made.
PROPORTIONAL BENEFIT
It is well settled under Florida law that local governments are afforded great latitude regarding legislative
determinations of special benefit and reasonable apportionment of costs (as evidenced by the Florida Supreme
Court finding in City of Boca Raton v. State of Florida), that the apportionment of benefits is a legislative function, and
that legislative determinations as to benefit and apportionment will be upheld unless the determination is arbitrary
– that is, if reasonable persons may differ as to whether the land assessed was benefitted by the local improvement,
the findings of the City officials must be sustained. In City of Boca Raton v. State of Florida, the Florida Supreme
Court also determined that the manner of the assessment is immaterial and may vary, as long as the amount of the
assessment for each tract is not in excess of the proportional benefits as compared to other assessments on other
tracts. Accordingly, while any number of methodologies may be available for a given service or improvement, the
community imposing the assessment is at liberty to select the methodology which provides the best fit in terms of
local needs and circumstances.
SPECIAL BENEFIT – THE FIRST PRONG OF THE TWO-PRONGED TEST
Based upon discussions with City staff about the extent and nature of the Fire Services provided, we have
concluded that all parcels within the City receive a special benefit from the Fire Services provided by BSO. In
considering special benefit, it is important to consider that BSO maintains its Fire resources at a level that provides
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 6
a response readiness condition to respond to calls for service throughout the City at relatively equal levels of
service. When needed, responses are made to calls for service without discrimination as to the property type, size,
location within the City, or any other factors specific to the property requiring the service. In addition, Vacant
lands not used actively in the production of agricultural products and services have Fire Services provided to them,
and the City has determined that Fire Services provided to those lands derive benefit to them, due to the urbanized
nature of the City.
As such, all properties receive a special benefit from the mere availability of Fire Services. Such benefit is
independent of, and realized even in the absence of, a call or need for actual service. The benefits include:
• Continuous availability of immediate response to fire.
• Provision of first responder medical aid to protect the life and safety of occupants.
• Enhanced property value, marketability of and/or ability to develop property.
• Lowering the cost of Fire Insurance by the presence of a professional and comprehensive Fire Service
• Protection against the spread of fire to neighboring parcels, thereby limiting and containing liability.
• Increased use and enjoyment of the parcel derived from continual and immediately available comprehensive
fire protection service should the need arise.
• Enhanced marketability and value of the parcel when compared to a similarly configured parcel for which
fire protection services are unavailable.
Therefore, the first prong of the two-pronged test (the property burdened by the assessment must derive a special
benefit from the service provided by the assessment) is met because all properties in the City receive a special
benefit from the City-wide Fire Service provided by BSO.
FAIR APPORTIONMENT – THE SECOND PRONG OF THE TWO-PRONGED TEST
In considering the assessment methodology, the second prong of the two-pronged test requires that the costs of the
assessment must be fairly and reasonably apportioned among the properties that receive the special benefit. The
Fire Services apportionment methodology used in this study allocates assessable costs based on the demand for
Fire Services by classes of real property use as identified on the real property assessment roll prepared for the levy
of ad valorem taxes. First, the assessable Fire Services costs are allocated among real property use categories based
upon the historical demand for these services (cost apportionment). This demand is identified by examining the
past three years of fire incident/calls for service data as reported by BSO to the State Fire Marshal’s office. Second,
the costs attributed to each property class are apportioned among the parcels on a per dwelling unit basis for
Residential uses, a square footage basis for non-residential uses, and a per acre basis for vacant parcels (parcel
apportionment). Further discussion of the consideration of fair apportionment is continued after the presentation
of source data, methodology and assessment rate calculation in subsequent sections of this report.
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 7
Section 2 – Fire Services Costs
Fire and Rescue Service Allocation
Florida case law requires that the imposition of a special assessment for Fire Services only be used to fund Fire
Services and first response rescue services. A Fire Assessment may not fund Emergency Medical Services (EMS),
including transportation (Florida Supreme Court opinion in City of North Lauderdale v. SMM Properties -825 So.2d 343
Fla. 2002).
The City utilizes personnel who are certified firefighters that may also be qualified medical personnel. Personnel
assigned to medical units may also be called upon to assist in firefighting duties. Because emergency medical
services are not services for which the City can assess property, costs for those services cannot be included in the
total fire services costs to determine the allowable assessed costs. Mutual aid services provided by other Fire
Departments do not cost the City anything and those calls accordingly are not considered in this assessment.
BSO provides the City with an annual “Consideration” budget that becomes the contract cost for the ensuing fiscal
year. The budget is for fire, rescue, inspection, and administrative costs of providing fire rescue services.
Additionally, the City has costs in addition to its contract with BSO. When BSO took over fire rescue operations
from the City, it was left with significant legacy pension costs related to its former employees that still must be
funded. Similarly, the City must fund those employees share of the City’s other post-employment benefits
(generally retiree medical costs). The City must also pay for the costs of administering the assessment itself. These
costs include legal and professional fees, notification fees from the property appraiser’s office, advertising, and
discounts allowed on early payments of property tax bills. Of the sum of these costs, only those costs directly
attributable or allocated to fire services can be included in the assessment.
The remaining costs relate to the combined fire and EMS and must be allocated between the operations of those
two services. While there are many ways to allocate the costs of these services, we have chosen to allocate them in
proportion to the staffing of full-time equivalents (FTEs) by their function and shift assignment per apparatus. Fire
Services budgets are largely driven by personnel costs. Fire costs are largely driven by insuring standby availability
in the event of a fire. Similarly, EMS costs are largely driven by insuring standby availability in the event of a
medical emergency. Although calls for service are used to allocate the Fire Services costs to the property classes
(which is discussed in a later section of this report), calls for service are not a good basis for allocation between Fire
Services and EMS because of the standby nature of those services which require a constant employ of personnel
and facilities to be ready to respond.
Accordingly, we believe that the fairest apportionment method is one that utilizes a personnel assignment-based
allocation. As of FY 2026, BSO operates two fire suppression apparatus vehicles (Quints) and three rescue
vehicles. The Quints each require three personnel each shift. Each rescue unit now maintains three personnel per
shift. Each unit requires three sets of personnel by shift, therefore FTEs for each apparatus are multiplied by three
times the personnel assignment per shift. BSO maintains one Fire Prevention Officer, and five Fire Safety
Inspectors, all fully allocated to Fire Services. Finally, the District Fire Chief and Administrative Assistant are
allocated to Fire and Rescue by the weighted results of the directly allocated personnel. Table 2 below presents the
results of the personnel allocation.
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 8
Table 2 – Allocation of Personnel between Fire and Rescue
Calculation of the Net Revenue Requirement
To calculate the Fire Services Net Revenue Requirement (NRR) for FY 2026 and beyond, the proposed
FY 2026 BSO budget as well as other City costs for Fire Services were projected using cost escalation factors
identified by City Staff. In each year of the projection period, offsetting revenues from other sources were deducted
from the expenditure requirements so that the full complement of dedicated Fire revenues is not double recovered.
A 4% allowance (i.e. assumed reduction in fee revenues) for early payment/statutory discounts was included to
determine the annual net revenue requirements to be recovered by the fire assessment fees. The projection of Fire
Services Net Revenue Requirement for FY 2026 – FY 2030 is presented in Table 3. The Net Revenue Requirement
in FY 2026 through FY 2030 represents 100% Cost Recovery or Maximum Allocated costs for the annual
assessments as calculated herein. The maximum allocated cost for the FY 2026 Fire Assessment is $9,845,342
Assignment/Position
Full Time
Equivalents Fire Rescue Allocation
Quint 1 9 9 Direct Fire
Quint 17 9 9 Direct Fire
Rescue 1 9 9 Direct Rescue
Rescue 1 9 9 Direct Rescue
Rescue 17 9 9 Direct Rescue
Fire Prevention Officer 1 1 Direct Fire
Fire Safety Inspectors 5 5 Direct Fire
District Fire Chief 1 0.47 0.53 Weighted
Administrative Assistant 1 0.47 0.53 Weighted
Total 53 24.94 28.06
Fire/Rescue Allocation 47.06%52.94%
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 9
Table 3 – Calculation and Projection of the Net Revenue Requirement
FY 2026 FY 2027 FY 2028 FY 2029 FY 2030
Annual
Escalation
Factor
Expenditures
Broward Sheriff's Office 20,663,351$ 21,593,202$ 22,564,896$ 23,580,316$ 24,641,430$ 4.50%
City Fire Costs 1,247,000$ 1,303,115$ 1,361,755$ 1,423,034$ 1,487,071$ 4.50%
Other City Operating Expenses 5,000$ 5,000$ 5,000$ 5,000$ 5,000$ 0.00%
Property Appraiser and Tax Collector Fees 7,896$ 8,133$ 8,377$ 8,628$ 8,887$ 3.00%
Advertisements 6,500$ 6,500$ 6,500$ 6,500$ 6,500$ 0.00%
Legal and Professional Fees 6,000$ 6,000$ 6,000$ 6,000$ 6,000$ 0.00%
Consultant Costs - Assessment Updates 35,000$ 35,000$ 35,000$ 35,000$ 35,000$
Total Expenditures 21,935,747$ 22,921,950$ 23,952,528$ 25,029,479$ 26,154,888$
Less: Direct EMS Costs (130,000)$ (135,850)$ (141,963)$ (148,352)$ (155,027)$ 4.50%
Total Net Fire Costs Before Allocation 21,805,747$ 22,786,100$ 23,810,565$ 24,881,127$ 25,999,861$
% Allocated to Fire (1)47.06%47.06%47.06%47.06%47.06%
Assessable Fire Costs 10,261,528$ 10,722,870$ 11,204,972$ 11,708,766$ 12,235,229$
Less: Attributed Revenues
Hazmat Permit Fees (10,000)$ (10,000)$ (10,000)$ (10,000)$ (10,000)$ 0.00%
Fire Inspection Fees (800,000)$ (828,000)$ (856,980)$ (886,974)$ (918,018)$ 3.50%
Total Attributed Revenues (810,000)$ (838,000)$ (866,980)$ (896,974)$ (928,018)$
Net Assessable Fire Costs 9,451,528$ 9,884,870$ 10,337,992$ 10,811,791$ 11,307,210$
Plus: Assessment Discounts (4%)393,814$ 411,870$ 430,750$ 450,491$ 471,134$
Net Revenue Requirement 9,845,342$ 10,296,740$ 10,768,741$ 11,262,283$ 11,778,344$
(1) - Refer to Table 2 for Allocation calculation
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 10
Section 3 – Calculation of the Fire Assessment
Assessment Property Classifications
Using the Broward County Property Appraisers (BCPA) tax roll data, benefited parcels were identified using
the various categories of land use codes within that data set. Additionally, and to keep the proposed
apportionment categories as close to the existing categories as possible, we relied upon the Fire Class codes
currently maintained by the BCPA. The BCPA has previously identified and coded the improved properties by
type and assigned each parcel an appropriate Fire Class Code. We reviewed consistency in this data, and it was
determined to be of high accuracy. This data has also undergone considerable review over time through prior
studies. The Fire Class codes used are as follows:
• Residential (“R”) This includes all residential dwelling units, be they single family, multifamily, mobile
homes, or mobile home lots. This includes separate or attached guest houses or “granny flats” or
anything considered a residential dwelling unit.
• Commercial (“C”) This includes all property used for commercial activity, except where otherwise
identified by its own Fire Class code and includes office and retail uses. It also includes recreational
vehicle lots converted to commercial square footage as provided by statute.
• Government (“X”) This includes any property owned by a federal, state, or local government.
• Special (“S”, and generally mixed use) This includes property that has more than one use or
improvement that contains more than one Fire Class code. An example might be a parcel which
contained both a warehouse and an office use. Each use will be assigned the cost for that use.
• Vacant Acreage Parcels Not Developed (“A”) This includes land that does not contain any
improvement or structure but excludes property classified as agricultural.
• Warehouse/Industrial (“W”) This includes manufacturing and processing sites, storage units (whether
for commercial or non-commercial purposes), and warehousing sites.
• Miscellaneous (“Y”) This includes properties that are used for Charitable, Educational, Literary,
Scientific, or Religious organizations, or other properties defined under Florida Statutes. These
properties may be assessed or may be excluded by the City from year-to- year.
It should also be noted that properties that can sometimes be exempt from this assessment (e.g., church-owned
residential properties, portions of warehouses used for exempt purposes, portions of office buildings used for
exempt purposes) remain classified as “R”, “C”, “W”, etc. and are included in the assessment calculations, but
are not assessed if the City has excluded them from the assessment levy. In addition, all Residential, Vacant,
Commercial or Warehouse units for parcels categorized as “X” or “Y” are assigned to the relevant assessment
types for allocation and rate calculation, even though the parcels are exempt ultimately not billed. For example,
if a property is shown to contain a single-family residential dwelling (“R”) but is owned by a Church (“Y”), it’s
dwelling unit will be allocated to the Residential rate calculation, but the parcel will not be billed the assessment.
Again, these codes are used by BCPA to assist them in the administration of their rolls, and we believe them to
be highly accurate at the parcel level.
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 11
Each BCPA parcel for the City also has, in addition to a Fire Class code, a Fire Basis element, which indicates
the number of applicable billing units located on the parcel. For example, a single-family residential dwelling
unit would have a Fire Basis element of “1”, indicating that the fixed residential assessment rate would be
multiplied by “1” to arrive at an assessment amount and a duplex residential dwelling unit would have a Fire
Basis element of “2”, indicating that the fixed residential assessment rate would be multiplied by “2” to arrive
at an assessment amount, and so on. Commercial, Warehouse/Industrial, and Not-for-profit are based upon
the square footage of buildings on the property. The sum of all structures of similar fire class are added together
to determine the total square footage for each fire class on each parcel. Acreage is based upon the number or
fraction of an acre for the parcel. The Fire Class code “S”, Special, generally includes mixed-use parcels that
have mixed assessment rates applied to them. The sum of each category (e.g., “Residential”, “Commercial”,
etc.) are added together within this coding. The Fire Basis element code in this Fire Class code in this category
indicates the amount of the assessment for that Fire Class code. The BCPA handles mixed-use parcels as
exceptions and manually calculates the assessment based upon the particular mix of uses that exist on those
parcels.
Mobile Home parks are assessed whether or not a lot/space is occupied. Each mobile home lot/space is
assessed a residential assessment rate. The commercial component of a mobile home park may include a
calculation based on the total of any commercial structures located on the parcel plus an assigned commercial
structure size of the minimum square footage of 1,200 square feet that is mandated by the Department of Health
under Chapter 64E-15.002(3), Florida Administrative Code for Recreational Vehicle Park spaces and a square
footage of 500 square feet for tent spaces inside Recreational Vehicle Parks, also as mandated by Chapter 64E-
15.002(3), Florida Administrative Code. The City does not have any parks that have only recreational vehicles.
Mobile home parks are mixed-use parcels.
There were 14,301 unique parcels or folio numbers within the City of Dania Beach fire assessment district
provided to us by the BCPA in June 2025. Among these individual parcels are non-assessable, fully excluded
parcels such as residential multi-family common areas, submerged lands, lake bottoms, right of ways, etc. For
all real property used in the allocation of the NRR, the unit counts by BCPA Fire Class category code and use
code counts appear below:
Table 4 – Identified Units by BCPA Fire Class Category
The City may not ultimately assess all the properties within these fire class categories for Fire Services as the City
traditionally has exempted some uses (e.g., non-profits, houses of worship, and other properties also exempt from
property taxes) of property from the fire assessment. Commercial, Warehouse/Industrial, and, if levied, Not-for-
BCPA Category
Description
BCPA
Code
Allocated
Units Unit Type
Acreage (Vacant)A 726 Acres
Commercial C 9,424,503 Sq Ft
Residential R 18,518 Dwelling Units
Warehouse/Industrial W 6,650,500 Sq Ft
Government, Exempt X 645,248 Sq Ft
Not For Profit, Exempt Y 446,157 Sq Ft
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 12
profit parcels are assessed based on square footage of the structures by fire class on each parcel. The costs
associated with any exempt parcels have not been reallocated to the remaining non-exempt parcels and those costs
are assumed by other sources of City revenue.
Calls For Service Analysis
The costs identified in this study are apportioned to property categories based upon an analysis of the calls for
service data provided by BSO. The call/incident data identified the number and type of calls made by City Fire
and EMS vehicles for three fiscal-years beginning October 1, 2021 (FY 2022) – September 30, 2024 (FY 2024).
The call/incident data is extracted from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NIFRS).
The data field containing the type of call/incident was used to separate calls determined to be Fire Services, and
those determined to be EMS or other non-Fire calls. Only Fire Services calls were used for the apportionment of
the Fire Assessments. Schedule 1 of Appendix A presents the full list of unique call/incident types in the data set
provided by BSO, and the identification of incident type as being either Fire or EMS for the assessment
calculations. Certain call types were considered Non-Fire related such as cancelled calls, false alarms or erroneous
records. We also excluded from the call data calls to property that was located outside of the City limits or served
for fire rescue by other entities, such as the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport or Port Everglades.
The call data represented 20,884 calls over the three fiscal-year time period. Of these calls, 2,190 were identified by
incident type as Fire related.
Beyond identifying the call/incident type, we then allocated the Fire calls using property types as coded in the call
data. Schedule 2 of Appendix A presents each unique property use code in the NIFRS data, and the application of
the property categories to each code as utilized in this study. Of the 2,190 calls identified as Fire related, 2,048 were
calls to real property and specific property uses. The remaining 142 calls were to non-real property or non-specific
property and were therefore excluded from the apportionment analysis.
The remaining 2,048 calls were assigned to the assessment property classifications. Table 5 below illustrates the
assignment of calls to the property categories identified in the previous subsection. The percentages identified in the
Fire Calls to Real Property are used to allocate the FY 2026 Net Revenue Requirement to each property class.
Table 5 – Fire Call Allocation to Real Property, by Property Type
All Eligible Calls - Real
Property
BCPA
Code
3-Year
Call Total
% of
Total
Acreage, Vacant, Lot A 11 0.54%
Commercial C 819 39.99%
Residential R 1,043 50.93%
Warehouse/Industrial W 71 3.47%
Government X 88 4.30%
Not For Profit Y 16 0.78%
2,048 100.00%
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 13
Apportionment of the Net Revenue Requirement
The next step in the Fire Assessment calculation is to allocate the FY 2026 Net Revenue Requirement amongst
the property classes. This is done by utilizing the allocations of Fire calls to real property as identified in the
previous section. Featured below, Table 6 contains the apportionment of the FY 2026 Net Revenue
Requirement to the identified property classes.
Table 6 – Allocation of FY 2026 Net Revenue Requirement
Fire Assessment Rate Calculation
Full (100%) Cost Recovery Rate Calculation
To calculate the FY 2026 Fire Assessments, we utilized the apportioned costs and total units per property
classification as identified in the previous sections of this report. The amount of assessable costs allocable to each
property class was divided by the number of assessment units identified in each property class to compute the Fire
Assessment to be imposed against each parcel. Table 7 below presents the calculated FY 2026 Assessment Rates at
full (100%) cost recovery, as well as a comparison of the existing FY 2025 Assessment Rates:
Table 7 – FY 2026 Assessment Rate Calculation – Full (100%) Cost Recovery
While the full cost FY 2026 Net Revenue Requirement is apportioned to all properties, the actual revenue realized
will be less because exempted property is included in the apportionment but cannot be billed/assessed. In addition,
BCPA Category
Description
BCPA
Code
Call
Allocation %
Allocated FY
2026 NRR
Acreage (Vacant)A 0.54%52,880$
Commercial C 39.99%3,937,175$
Residential R 50.93%5,014,009$
Warehouse/Industrial W 3.47%341,318$
Government, Exempt X 4.30%423,042$
Not For Profit, Exempt Y 0.78%76,917$
Total:100.00%9,845,342$
BCPA Category
Description
BCPA
Code
Call
Allocation %
Allocated FY
2026 NRR
Allocated
Units Unit Type
FY 2026 -
Calculated
Rates per Unit
FY 2025 -
Current Rates
per Unit
Acreage (Vacant)A 0.54%52,880$ 726 Acre 72.87$ 85.23$
Commercial C 39.99%3,937,175$ 9,424,503 Sq Ft 0.4177$ 0.4213$
Residential R 50.93%5,014,009$ 18,518 Dwelling Unit 270.76$ 241.05$
Warehouse/Industrial W 3.47%341,318$ 6,650,500 Sq Ft 0.0513$ 0.0488$
Government, Exempt X 4.30%423,042$ 645,248 Sq Ft 0.6556$ N/A
Not For Profit, Exempt Y 0.78%76,917$ 446,157 Sq Ft 0.1723$ N/A
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 14
a 96% budget adjustment factor was used to calculate the estimated net collected revenue after accounting for early
payment discounts to the assessment bills. Table 8 below presents the estimated net billed and estimated
assessment revenue at full (100%) cost recovery.
Table 8 – Net Billed and Estimated Collected Revenue – Full (100%) Cost Recovery
Partial Cost Recovery Rate Calculation – Revenue Neutral Rate Target
Scenario
The City has requested Raftelis to calculate the assessments with the latest call and property data, targeting the
same revenue that would be generated with the current adopted (FY 2025) rates. The Broward County Property
Appraiser’s data shows that the current adopted rates would generate $8,465,100 (rounded) in billed assessment
revenues. With the 96% budgetary adjustment/discount applied, the current rates would collect an estimated
$8,126,500 (rounded) in net revenues. To accomplish the revenue target, the full cost NRR was reduced to
94.44% of the total potential costs. Table 9 below presents the rate calculations for this revenue target, while
Table 10 shows the calculation of the target revenue.
Table 9 – FY 2026 Assessment Rate Calculation – Revenue Neutral Rate Target Scenario -
$8,126,500 Net Revenue (94.44% Cost Recovery)
BCPA Category
Description
BCPA
Code
Allocated
Assessment
Less:
Exemptions
Total Billed
Assessment
Acreage (Vacant)A 52,880$ (2,856)$ 50,025$
Commercial C 3,937,175$ (133,606)$ 3,803,569$
Residential R 5,014,009$ (242,406)$ 4,771,603$
Warehouse/Industrial W 341,318$ (2,602)$ 338,716$
Government, Exempt X 423,042$ (423,042)$ -$
Not For Profit, Exempt Y 76,917$ (76,917)$ -$
9,845,342$ (881,429)$ 8,963,913$
Budgetary Adjustment/Discount 96%
FY 2026 Estimated Collected Revenue 8,605,356$
BCPA Category
Description
BCPA
Code
Call
Allocation %
Allocated FY
2026 NRR
Allocated
Units Unit Type
FY 2026 -
Calculated
Rates per Unit
FY 2025 -
Current Rates
per Unit
Acreage (Vacant)A 0.54%49,940$ 726 Acre 68.82$ 85.23$
Commercial C 39.99%3,718,268$ 9,424,503 Sq Ft 0.3945$ 0.4213$
Residential R 50.93%4,735,231$ 18,518 Dwelling Unit 255.70$ 241.05$
Warehouse/Industrial W 3.47%322,341$ 6,650,500 Sq Ft 0.0484$ 0.0488$
Government, Exempt X 4.30%399,521$ 645,248 Sq Ft 0.6191$ N/A
Not For Profit, Exempt Y 0.78%72,640$ 446,157 Sq Ft 0.1628$ N/A
100.00%9,297,941$
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 15
Table 10 - Revenue Neutral Rate Target Scenario - Net Billed and Estimated Collected Revenue
(includes deduction of exemptions) - $8,126,500 Target Revenue
Consideration of Fair Apportionment of Assessment
While there can be many ways to fairly apportion the costs of the fire services to benefited properties, we note the
following:
Apportioning costs among classifications of property based upon the historical demand for fire rescue services is a
fair and reasonable method because it reflects the property uses' potential fire risk based upon building use and is a
reasonable proxy for the firefighters training and experience, quantity and size of apparatus, and other special
firefighting equipment that must be available in accordance with the City’s standards and practices. It is fair and
reasonable to allocate costs to any particular non-residential structure without any limit to the square footage of a
structure as large buildings require more resources and more value of property benefits from fire protection. It is
fair and reasonable to not consider the flow capacity of fire apparatus as a limiting factor to fire protection as larger
buildings will have fire flows provided independent of the apparatus cumulative pumping capacity. The amount of
personnel engaged in firefighting increases with building size and personnel costs are the largest costs in fire
protection. Buildings cannot be permitted for construction if a local government cannot provide adequate fire
protection at the time they are ready for occupancy. Accordingly, we have removed tranches from earlier studies
and have determined that limits on the size of structures may shift the cost burden to owners of smaller structures.
Apportioning costs among classifications of property (Fire Class code) based upon both historical demand for fire
rescue services is fair and reasonable and proportional to the special benefit received and will ensure that no
property is assessed an amount greater than the special benefit received.
Apportioning costs to unimproved properties is fair and reasonable as fire call data demonstrates that there are calls
to those properties that are not infrequent. Fires on unimproved properties can spread to other parcels, both
improved and unimproved, and in an urban environment, uncontrolled or unaddressed fires can cause significant
damage. Property owners can be held responsible for fires on their property that spread to other parcels.
The fire rescue incident reports (NFIRS) are the most reliable data available to determine the potential demand for
fire services from property use and to determine the benefit to property use resulting from the demand for fire
services to protect and serve buildings and land located within assessed property and their intended occupants.
There exist sufficient fire incident reports that document the historical demand for fire services from assessed
property within the property use categories. The relative demand that has been determined for each property use
BCPA Category
Description
BCPA
Code
Allocated
Assessment
Less:
Exemptions
Total Billed
Assessment
Acreage (Vacant)A 49,940$ (2,696)$ 47,244$
Commercial C 3,718,268$ (125,958)$ 3,592,310$
Residential R 4,735,231$ (229,029)$ 4,506,201$
Warehouse/Industrial W 322,341$ (2,773)$ 319,568$
Government, Exempt X 399,521$ (399,521)$ -$
Not For Profit, Exempt Y 72,640$ (72,640)$ -$
9,297,941$ (832,617)$ 8,465,324$
Budgetary Adjustment/Discount 96%
FY 2026 Estimated Collected Revenue 8,126,711$
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 16
category by an examination of such fire incident reports is consistent with the experience of the City. Therefore, the
use of the relative percentages that were determined by an examination of fire rescue incident reports is a fair and
reasonable method to apportion the fire services assessed costs among the property use categories (Fire Class
codes).
Neither the size nor the value of the residential property determines the scope of the required fire response by the
City. The potential demand for fire services is driven by the existence of a dwelling unit.
Apportioning the percentage of the fire services assessed costs relating to the relative demand for fire services
attributable to residential property on a per dwelling unit basis (Fire Basis) is required to avoid cost inefficiency and
unnecessary administration and is a fair and reasonable method of parcel apportionment based upon historical call
data.
The separation of non-residential property buildings by actual square footage (Fire Basis) is fair and reasonable for
the purpose of parcel apportionment for the relative demand because the demand for fire service is determined and
measured by the actual square footage of structures and improvements within benefited parcels. The greater the
building area, the greater the potential for a large fire and the greater the amount of firefighting resources that must
be available in the event of a fire in a structure of that building’s size. It is fair and reasonable to correlate a
building’s benefit directly to a building’s size, without limit.
Based upon the historical demand for fire protection services, the percentages of the City’s total fire protection
assessable costs attributable to vacant non-agricultural properties were calculated. The costs attributable to parcels
were divided by the number of acres (Fire Basis) associated with parcels in the Acreage category to compute the
fire assessment rate per acre. An acreage charge is a fair and reasonable allocation for vacant non-agricultural
properties.
For residential parcels that contain non-residential buildings, non-residential improvements located on the parcel
were treated according to their non-residential property use category and size to compute the parcel’s non-
residential fire protection assessment. This assessment was then added to the parcel’s residential fire services
assessment. For non-residential parcels that contain a residence, the number of dwelling units by type located on
the parcel was multiplied by the rate per dwelling unit to compute the parcel’s residential fire services assessment.
This assessment was then added to the parcel’s non-residential fire services assessment. For agricultural parcels that
contain a residence or non-residential building, the parcel was assessed for the actual number of dwelling units by
type located on the parcel and/or the appropriate assessment for the non-residential building square footage. The
property used for agricultural purposes was not assessed.
We believe that the apportionment methodology prepared here is fair and reasonable and benefits the property that
will be assessed and that it fits the particular properties in and nature of the City of Dania Beach.
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 17
Section 4 – Summary of Recommendations
Based upon the results of the analysis presented herein, we recommend the following:
1. We recommend the Assessment Rates presented herein to be adopted by the City for FY 2026 at or below
the full cost recovery calculation.
2. We recommend the City continue its policy of evaluating the fire assessment rates on an annual basis and
adjusting the assessment rates to reflect increases in the cost of Fire Service.
3. We recommend the City to continue to update the fire assessment rates annually to keep pace with ongoing
changes in costs, call allocations and property demographics.
City of Dania Beach / FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study 18
Section 5 – Appendix A
Schedule 1 – NFIRS Call Data Call/Incident Type Categorizations
Schedule 2 – NFIRS Call Data Property Use Categorizations
City of Dania Beach FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study
NFIRS Type Code NFIRS Type Description Included? Call Type
111 Building fire Y Fire Services
113 Cooking fire, confined to container Y Fire Services
121 Fire in mobile home used as fixed residence Y Fire Services
122 Fire in motor home, camper, recreational vehicle Y Fire Services
131 Passenger vehicle fire Y Fire Services
138 Off-road vehicle or heavy equipment fire Y Fire Services
151 Outside rubbish, trash or waste fire Y Fire Services
154 Dumpster or other outside trash receptacle fire Y Fire Services
161 Outside storage fire Y Fire Services
221 Overpressure rupture of air or gas pipe/pipeline Y Fire Services
321 EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury N EMS/Rescue/Other
322 Motor vehicle accident with injuries N EMS/Rescue/Other
323 Motor vehicle/pedestrian accident (MV Ped)N EMS/Rescue/Other
324 Motor vehicle accident with no injuries.N EMS/Rescue/Other
341 Search for person on land N EMS/Rescue/Other
342 Search for person in water N EMS/Rescue/Other
353 Removal of victim(s) from stalled elevator Y Fire Services
357 Extrication of victim(s) from machinery N EMS/Rescue/Other
372 Trapped by power lines N EMS/Rescue/Other
411 Gasoline or other flammable liquid spill Y Fire Services
412 Gas leak (natural gas or LPG)Y Fire Services
413 Oil or other combustible liquid spill Y Fire Services
421 Chemical hazard (no spill or leak)Y Fire Services
422 Chemical spill or leak Y Fire Services
424 Carbon monoxide incident Y Fire Services
442 Overheated motor Y Fire Services
444 Power line down Y Fire Services
445 Arcing, shorted electrical equipment Y Fire Services
451 Biological hazard, confirmed or suspected Y Fire Services
463 Vehicle accident, general cleanup N EMS/Rescue/Other
511 Lock-out N EMS/Rescue/Other
531 Smoke or odor removal Y Fire Services
541 Animal problem N EMS/Rescue/Other
542 Animal rescue N EMS/Rescue/Other
550 Public service assistance, other N EMS/Rescue/Other
551 Assist police or other governmental agency N EMS/Rescue/Other
552 Police matter N EMS/Rescue/Other
553 Public service N EMS/Rescue/Other
555 Defective elevator, no occupants Y Fire Services
561 Unauthorized burning Y Fire Services
611 Dispatched & canceled en route N EMS/Rescue/Other
621 Wrong location N EMS/Rescue/Other
622 No incident found on arrival at dispatch address N EMS/Rescue/Other
631 Authorized controlled burning Y Fire Services
700 False alarm or false call, other Y Fire Services
710 Malicious, mischievous false call, other Y Fire Services
711 Municipal alarm system, malicious false alarm Y Fire Services
713 Telephone, malicious false alarm Y Fire Services
715 Local alarm system, malicious false alarm Y Fire Services
Schedule 1 - NFIRS Call Data Call/Incident Type Categorizations
Raftelis, Inc.
City of Dania Beach FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study
NFIRS Type Code NFIRS Type Description Included? Call Type
Schedule 1 - NFIRS Call Data Call/Incident Type Categorizations
721 Bomb scare - no bomb Y Fire Services
731 Sprinkler activation due to malfunction Y Fire Services
733 Smoke detector activation due to malfunction Y Fire Services
734 Heat detector activation due to malfunction Y Fire Services
735 Alarm system sounded due to malfunction Y Fire Services
736 CO detector activation due to malfunction Y Fire Services
741 Sprinkler activation, no fire - unintentional Y Fire Services
743 Smoke detector activation, no fire - unintentional Y Fire Services
744 Detector activation, no fire - unintentional Y Fire Services
745 Alarm system activation, no fire - unintentional Y Fire Services
746 Carbon monoxide detector activation, no CO Y Fire Services
812 Flood assessment Y Fire Services
813 Wind storm, tornado/hurricane assessment Y Fire Services
814 Lightning strike (no fire)Y Fire Services
815 Severe weather or natural disaster standby Y Fire Services
911 Citizen complaint Y Fire Services
1121 Fire in structure (contents only)Y Fire Services
1321 Commercial vehicle fire Y Fire Services
1341 Watercraft fire Y Fire Services
1411 Natural vegetation fire (trees, grass, brush)Y Fire Services
2411 Explosion only (no fire)Y Fire Services
3111 Decontamination unit response Y Fire Services
3311 Subject Locked IN (locked vehicle or secure area)Y Fire Services
3511 TRT - Building/Structure Collapse (with victims)Y Fire Services
3651 Boater/Watercraft in distress Y Fire Services
3811 EMS Standby/Detail N EMS/Rescue/Other
4611 Structure weakened or collapsed (No Victims)Y Fire Services
5221 Water Leak/Problem Y Fire Services
5501 Radiological Survey Y Fire Services
5541 Lift/Elderly Assist N EMS/Rescue/Other
6001 DELETE CALL N EMS/Rescue/Other
6511 Smoke Investigation (visual or smell of smoke)Y Fire Services
6711 Hazmat - Investigation, no hazards found Y Fire Services
7151 Malicious false alarm, Pull station activated Y Fire Services
7451 Medical alarm - unintentional N EMS/Rescue/Other
Raftelis, Inc.
City of Dania Beach FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study
NFIRS Property Use
Code NFIRS Property Use Description BCPA Fire Description
111 Bowling establishment Commercial
113 Electronic amusement center Commercial
116 Swimming facility: indoor or outdoor Commercial
120 Variable-use amusement, recreation places, other Commercial
121 Ballroom, gymnasium Commercial
122 Convention center, exhibition hall Commercial
123 Stadium, arena Commercial
124 Playground Commercial
129 Amusement center: indoor/outdoor Commercial
130 Places of worship, funeral parlors, other Not For Profit
131 Church, mosque, synagogue, temple, chapel Not For Profit
140 Clubs, other Commercial
141 Athletic/health club Commercial
142 Clubhouse Commercial
144 Casino, gambling clubs Commercial
150 Public or government, other Government
151 Library Government
152 Museum Government
160 Eating, drinking places, other Commercial
161 Restaurant or cafeteria Commercial
162 Bar or nightclub Commercial
170 Passenger terminal, other Commercial
171 Airport passenger terminal Commercial
173 Bus station Commercial
174 Rapid transit station Commercial
180 Studio/theater, other Commercial
181 Live performance theater Commercial
183 Movie theater Commercial
211 Preschool Government
213 Elementary school, including kindergarten Government
215 High school/junior high school/middle school Government
241 Adult education center, college classroom Not For Profit
254 Day care, in commercial property Commercial
311 24-hour care Nursing homes, 4 or more persons Residential
321 Mental retardation/development disability facility Not For Profit
322 Alcohol or substance abuse recovery center Not For Profit
331 Hospital - medical or psychiatric Commercial
341 Clinic, clinic-type infirmary Commercial
342 Doctor, dentist or oral surgeon office Commercial
343 Hemodialysis unit Commercial
361 Jail, prison (not juvenile) Government
363 Reformatory, juvenile detention center Government
365 Police station Government
419 1 or 2 family dwelling Residential
429 Multifamily dwelling Residential
439 Boarding/rooming house, residential hotels Residential
449 Hotel/motel, commercial Commercial
459 Residential board and care Residential
511 Convenience store Commercial
519 Food and beverage sales, grocery store Commercial
529 Textile, wearing apparel sales Commercial
539 Household goods, sales, repairs Commercial
549 Specialty shop Commercial
557 Personal service, including barber & beauty shops Commercial
559 Recreational, hobby, home repair sales, pet store Commercial
564 Laundry, dry cleaning Commercial
569 Professional supplies, services Commercial
571 Service station, gas station Commercial
579 Motor vehicle or boat sales, services, repair Commercial
581 Department or discount store Commercial
592 Bank Commercial
593 Office: veterinary or research Commercial
596 Post office or mailing firms Commercial
599 Business office Commercial
614 Steam or heat-generating plant Warehouse/Industrial
615 Electric-generating plant Warehouse/Industrial
629 Laboratory or science laboratory Commercial
631 Defense, military installation Government
635 Computer center Commercial
642 Electrical distribution Warehouse/Industrial
644 Gas distribution, gas pipeline Warehouse/Industrial
647 Water utility Warehouse/Industrial
Schedule 2 – NFIRS Call Data Property Use Categorizations
Raftelis, Inc.
City of Dania Beach FY 2026 Fire Services Assessment Study
NFIRS Property Use
Code NFIRS Property Use Description BCPA Fire Description
Schedule 2 – NFIRS Call Data Property Use Categorizations
648 Sanitation utility Warehouse/Industrial
655 Crops or orchard Acreage, Vacant, Lot
807 Outside material storage area Warehouse/Industrial
881 Parking garage, (detached residential garage) Residential
882 Parking garage, general vehicle Not-Real-Property, No Benefit, Excluded, Mutual Aid or Undetermined
888 Fire station Government
891 Warehouse Warehouse/Industrial
898 Dock, marina, pier, wharf Commercial
899 Residential or self-storage units Warehouse/Industrial
926 Outbuilding, protective shelter Not-Real-Property, No Benefit, Excluded, Mutual Aid or Undetermined
931 Open land or field Acreage, Vacant, Lot
935 Campsite with utilities Commercial
936 Vacant lot Acreage, Vacant, Lot
937 Beach Not-Real-Property, No Benefit, Excluded, Mutual Aid or Undetermined
941 Open ocean, sea or tidal waters Not-Real-Property, No Benefit, Excluded, Mutual Aid or Undetermined
946 Lake, river, stream Not-Real-Property, No Benefit, Excluded, Mutual Aid or Undetermined
951 Railroad right-of-way Commercial
952 Railroad yard Commercial
961 Highway or divided highway Not-Real-Property, No Benefit, Excluded, Mutual Aid or Undetermined
962 Residential street, road or residential driveway Residential
963 Street or road in commercial area Commercial
965 Vehicle parking area Not-Real-Property, No Benefit, Excluded, Mutual Aid or Undetermined
974 Aircraft loading area Not-Real-Property, No Benefit, Excluded, Mutual Aid or Undetermined
981 Construction site Commercial
982 Oil or gas field Warehouse/Industrial
983 Pipeline, power line or other utility right-of-way Not-Real-Property, No Benefit, Excluded, Mutual Aid or Undetermined
984 Industrial plant yard - area Warehouse/Industrial
Raftelis, Inc.