A Florida property owner has filed suit against the Pinellas Suncoast Fire & Rescue District challenging a new assessment methodology that nearly tripled the fire district assessment on his residence.
Vadim S. Carter filed the verified complaint yesterday in Pinellas County Circuit Court seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against the district. Carter represents himself in the suit.
According to the complaint, the district reclassified approximately 1,857 residentially zoned dwellings as “Commercial Units” for purposes of its Fiscal Year 2026-2027 non-ad valorem fire assessment. Carter claims the district made the change without voter approval, without a supporting study or cost analysis, and without adequately disclosing how the new assessments were calculated…