The Key Largo Volunteer Fire Department is essentially broke, according to a statement made by Fire Chief Don Bock at a recent meeting, during which he described the nonprofit service provider as having “no assets.”
The meeting began with the department’s board approving a balance of $29,954 ending in June — an amount that would barely cover the out-of-pocket cash that Bock says he has fronted the fire department.
The fire department is subcontracted by the Key Largo Volunteer Ambulance Corps, which is directly contracted by the Key Largo Fire Rescue & Emergency Medical Services District to provide fire and EMS services to Key Largo taxpayers.
The district’s proposed 2018-19 budget shows $3,243,746 to be collected in property taxes and $1,819,530 earmarked for operational and capital outlay expenses for the fire department.
Bock revealed that the fire department payroll account is depleted, and there’s $21,000 of his personal money holding it together.