Consulting Services for Non-Ad Valorem Special Assessment for Fire Protection and Rescue Services

The City of St. Petersburg is soliciting consulting services under RFP-26-305 to design, develop, and implement a Non-Ad Valorem Special Assessment Program for fire protection and rescue services. The project aims to establish a legally defensible methodology for calculating assessments to fund the Fire Rescue Department, which operates 13 stations with a Fiscal Year 2026 budget of 49.5 million dollars and maintains an elite ISO Class 1 rating. The selected consultant will be responsible for conducting baseline analysis, developing at least two distinct allocation models based on demand and readiness to serve, creating a five-year financial model with a mandatory 5 percent statutory reduction for delinquencies, and delivering the final certified tax roll to the Pinellas County Tax Collector. The contract features an initial three-year term, with the first year dedicated to program development and the subsequent two years focused on annual administrative support. Implementation must be completed in time for the January 2028 tax rolls. Awarding is based on the most qualified vendor, with evaluation weighted toward firm qualifications and experience (45 percent), project approach (30 percent), cost analysis (15 percent), and business enterprise outreach (10 percent). The agreement requires consultants to maintain commercial general liability insurance of one million dollars per occurrence and two million dollars aggregate, as well as one million dollars in automobile liability insurance. Invoicing is conducted monthly, with payments issued within twenty business days of receipt.