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FEE 19 1991 POOK 82 FACE,713 INDIAN RIVER CITRUS LEAGUE'S POSITION ON PROPOSED CONSOLIDATION AND UNIFICATION -OF -EMERGENCY -SERVICES John J. Morrison, speaking on behalf of the Indian River Citrus League, stated that they are not opposed to the forthcoming referendum. To the contrary, they are actively in support of it. The problem was that they were given some misinformation regarding the taxation of citrus groves whereby an 80 -acre grove, for example, would be taxed at inception at the present levels of $750 per year going up to $1050 a year. The West Fire District is almost entirely agriculture, and League members were worried that the current low millage would skyrocket to the level of the urban areas. However, in going over the County's detailed plan with Emergency Management Director Doug Wright, the proposed taxation comes out identically all the way down as to where the participation in cost is and the utilization is of fire services and EMS services. Therefore, their position is that they are strongly in support of the referendum, and hope it will be supported throughout the county. Mr. Morrison felt the county's fire services and ALS system are first class and worth every cent of taxation that is proposed. Commissioner Wheeler thanked Mr. Morrison for the considerable time he spent going over this matter with staff and coming before the Board today to clarify the League's position on the referendum. Mr. Morrison wished to point out that the Citrus League is a low -profile operation. There are some 70,000 acres of citrus groves in this county, but because most of the acreage is westward, people don't realize the magnitude of the operation or the extent of the export sales to Asia and Europe. The citrus industry is the largest business in the county and still the largest employer in the county. One out of every 5 people in the county are directly or indirectly employed by the citrus 16