Tampa City Council member pushing to allocate part of next year's budget to new fire stations

TAMPA, Fla. - In the event of an emergency, response times are critical.

One Tampa City Council member believes those times can be improved if the right amount of money is allocated in next year's budget to build two new fire stations in Tampa.

The City of Tampa is proposing a budget of about two billion dollars for next year.

Within that, 21 percent is being allocated to public safety.

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Tampa City Councilmember, Luis Viera, feels it should be much more, considering Tampa's major growth. 

The union president for Tampa's firefighters agrees.

"If we're going to ask the people of Tampa for more money through a higher millage rate, they should expect better response times," Viera shared.

Viera feels that can and should happen if the right amount of money is allocated to Tampa Fire Rescue in the city's 2024 budget.

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"We've seen tremendous growth in Downtown Tampa, residential growth, etc., Water Street, things like that. But we still have only one fire station there. We have so many people that have moved there. That is a major public safety risk," Viera explained.

Viera would like to see a new fire station built in Downtown Tampa and another in North Tampa. Tampa Firefighters Local 754 Union President, Nick Stocco, estimates each station would cost around six million dollars.

"When you begin a station, you begin with things like design, property acquisition. It's a multi-year process. My view is let's get it started now," Viera said.

Part of the mayor's budget plan includes a 16 percent increase in property taxes, which would cost the average property owner about $240 a year or $20 a month.

Viera thinks the property tax increase is too high.

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He believes the increase should be significantly less and that more money should be allocated to two new fire stations and Stocco agrees.

"Fire Stations are much needed in the City of Tampa. The Inner City has not seen an additional fire station in decades," Stocco said in a statement emailed to FOX 13. "With advanced technology and strategic locations, new fire stations can improve response times and minimize the devastating impact of fires and other emergencies."

The first reading for the proposed budget will be on Sep. 5. A final vote will be held on Sep. 19.