Tobia's email to 30,000 on fire fee increase riles fellow Commissioners Barfield, Pritchett

County Commissioner Jim Barfield wasn't too happy about an email fellow Commissioner John Tobia sent to about 30,000 Brevard County residents recently. And he let Tobia know about it during a County Commission meeting.

During that meeting, County Commission Chair Rita Pritchett also made comments — albeit somewhat milder — targeted at Tobia.

Tobia's email was about the county's proposed increase in fire assessment fees, which commissioners subsequently approved by 3-2 vote, with Tobia and Vice Chair Kristine Isnardi voting no.

More:Brevard County Commission approves 6% increase in fire assessment fees

More:Brevard County fire assessment fees could rise as much as 15%

The increase will be 6 percent in the first year, an adjustment that will show up on tax bills residents will get in November. Subsequent annual hikes will match the increase in the consumer price index, up to a maximum of 3 percent a year, until the cumulative increase reaches 15 percent.

The increase affects the owners of 97,030 residential and commercial properties in unincorporated Brevard, as well as 11,230 properties in the four cities and towns that are covered by Brevard County Fire Rescue — Grant-Valkaria, Melbourne Village, Palm Shores and West Melbourne.

The 6 percent, first-year rate increase will provide $1.35 million in additional revenue for Brevard County Fire Rescue.

"I have no doubt that the politician who voted for this 15 percent increase will be quick to claim that this is not a tax increase because it is 'below the line' " on the property tax bills — separated from property tax rates, Tobia wrote in his email. "I believe that, if your tax bill goes up, it is a tax increase, In the end, however, the slimy semantics make no difference. I am disgusted that the board continues its habit of out-of-control spending on the backs of our hard-working, taxpaying citizens."

In his email, Tobia referred to the "disturbing notices" that affected residents received in the mail that the county was required to mail out about the proposed fire fee increase.

Tobia also referred to the Brevard County commissioners in January voting 4-1, with Tobia opposed, to increase the fees patients pay for ambulance transports to area hospitals. The increases ranged from 28.1 percent to 36.3 percent, depending on the type of transport. Ambulance billing rates had not increased since 2009. The new rates will generate about $1 million a year in added revenue.

Tobia wrote that "nobody should be surprised" that commissioners were thinking of raising fire fees when they previously "callously voted to raise fees on the sick and injured who need an ambulance by more than 30 percent."

Tobia then urged recipients of his email to contact their county commissioners, and provided phone numbers and email addresses for them, so that Barfield, Pritchett and Commissioner Curt Smith could be convinced "to reverse this repugnant decision" that they gave initial approval for at a previous meeting.

The three commissioners who supported the fire fee increase didn't switch their votes.

But both Barfield and Pritchett commented on Tobia's email during the meeting.

Barfield read excerpts from Tobia's email, and said it "clouded the issue" and generated "a tremendous amount of complaints."

"Once again, politics threatens the future of our county," Barfield said, calling Tobia "a professional career politician and government worker." Tobia was elected to County Commission in 2016 after serving eight years in the Florida House of Representatives.

Barfield said the letter was part of Tobia's "promise to get Curt Smith and myself out of office."

The five sitting county commissioners all are Republicans. Smith is seeking re-election this year, and faces a Republican primary challenge from former County Commissioner Trudie Infantini, who has Tobia's support. Barfield previously decided not to seek a second term.

Barfield said he thought Tobia's email had "half-truths," and he didn't believe Tobia accurately portrayed the timing in the fire fee increase, leading recipients to think it would be a 15 percent increase "over the next few years." The increases after this year are tied to the CPI, and could be extended longer than a few years before hitting 15 percent.

Additionally, Barfield said, the letter didn't explain what the money would be used for or that this is the first change in the rates since 2008, when they were decreased 15 percent.

"It leads you to believe that we just like to raise fees and taxes, which is pretty much ridiculous, because we hate paying taxes, too," Barfield said.

Barfield said the increase will help pay for firefighter salary increases in an attempt to reduce the number of firefighters from leaving for higher-paying jobs in other counties after being trained in Brevard. It also will help pay for new equipment.

"Nobody should be surprised by all this political antics that are going on," Barfield said. "This commission has to take politics aside and look at what we have to do for the future of this county. We have to stop the gamesmanship. We have got to do what's best for this county, and let's protect the public safety."

Just after the final vote to increase the fire fees, Pritchett made a few comments of her own directed at Tobia.

"I don't mind people having different opinions up here," Pritchett said. "I think that's what brings out the best of taxation with representation — that we're all able to speak and try to come to the best decisions we're making for our county."

But she indicated that the implications contained in Tobia's email may have been "disingenuous of the heart of what was going on up here."

"Some things that are fine, and some things, I thought, got a little bit too political," Pritchett said, while adding that Tobia's letter helped her open dialogue with her District 1 constituents in North Brevard.

"It's brought me closer to my community, so that's all right, too," Pritchett said.

Tobia did not indicate he was upset by the comments, and defended the accuracy of the email.

In fact, at the end of the meeting, Tobia said he "greatly appreciates" that Barfield took the time to read the email out loud during the County Commission meeting.

Then, directing his comments at the audience, Tobia said: "so if you're watching this, and you did not receive that email," county residents should contact Tobia's office, and "I would be more than willing to send out all information, no matter how factual. It is 100 percent factual on that. I appreciate getting out as much information to as many people as possible for no cost."

Tobia said after the meeting that he sends out emails to his mailing list of about 30,000 on average once every few months, when there is an issue of importance he wants to inform the public about.

He said he compiled the email list over his years as a state legislator and county commissioner, and it includes residents who live throughout the county — not just from within his commission district.

He noted that — unlike the required notices the county mailed to residents affected by the fire fee increase — no county money was spent on his email.

Dave Berman is government editor at FLORIDA TODAY. 

His Political Spin column appears Sundays in FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Berman at 321-242-3649

or dberman@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @bydaveberman.

Facebook: /dave.berman.54

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