05/20/2026
Following last nights council meeting, we understand why residents are concerned about Temple Terrace’s water infrastructure. Safe, reliable drinking water is essential, and our firefighters share those same concerns because we live here too. We raise our families here, drink the same water, and are just as invested in the long-term health of this community. That concern is even greater for firefighters because the profession already carries a significantly elevated cancer risk as compared to the general public.
At the same time, the Public Safety Complex is not a vanity project. The need for additional fire coverage in Temple Terrace has been identified for decades. The city has known for years that the southeast portion of Temple Terrace experiences longer response times because there is no station serving that area directly. Right now, Station 1 units are routinely pulled far outside their primary district to cover calls in the future Station 3 area. When that happens, Station 2 crews often have to backfill Station 1’s territory, creating delays that can impact residents across the city — even those who live close to an existing station.
Delaying the project does not make the need go away. It only makes the solution more expensive. Construction costs continue to rise, supply chain issues continue to impact materials and equipment, and every year of delay increases the eventual cost to taxpayers. Meanwhile, residents continue living with the current response-time gaps and operational strain that everyone already knows exists.
There is potentially a direct financial impact to homeowners as well. Temple Terrace currently benefits from a strong ISO fire protection rating, which helps keep homeowners insurance costs lower. Maintaining that rating requires adequate staffing, infrastructure, facilities, and response capabilities. If the city falls behind in those areas, homeowners could ultimately see increased insurance premiums. At that point, residents would be paying more anyways, with no benefit.
The water infrastructure issue is real and deserves attention. But overlooking the GO Bond and delaying critical public safety infrastructure will not solve the water problem. Temple Terrace can and must address both. Residents deserve clean water, reliable emergency response, safe working conditions for first responders, and protection against rising insurance costs. Ignoring one major infrastructure need because another exists only creates larger and more expensive problems later.
