A certain part of Boynton Beach's fire rescue assessment helps to assist residents financially residents who may have issues in paying all or part of the small assessment.
Wayne Segal, Boynton Beach spokesman, said the fire rescue assessment was part of residents’ tax bills at the bottom of the bill.
“For example, a single family home assessment is $68 a year,” Segal said. “The assessment itself is collected to fund fire-rescue items.”
The assessment does not fund items such as the EMT.
Segal said the Hardship Extension Loan Program offers assistance for relief from the entire annual assessment, for a portion of it, deferral for all payments or deferral for a portion of it. Segal said the relief that a resident can get is based on need. Those who are not in need will not qualify.
The application deadline for the relief is Nov. 1.
Residents can download the application at
Individuals who are eligible for the assistance include residential property owners who qualify for certain poverty guidelines, property owners who are disabled veterans or surviving spouses of veterans and permanently disabled persons.
Qualified individuals also include residential property owners that qualify for the additional homestead exemption for residents 65 and older, and residential property owners that are qualified under the Florida Homestead Property Tax Deferral Act.
Barry Atwood, the city's director of finance, said Boynton Beach is one of only three or four cities in Palm Beach County with the fire assessment.
“It is very popular in Broward County,” he said.
The applicant must provide documentation showing eligibility for the waiver or deferral and also include a copy of the tax bill and describe the circumstances of the hardship.
Once the application is submitted, a Hardship Waiver Review Committee will go over the application and the committee will provide a decision to the resident.
For more information, call 561-742-6310.
Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.