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Work underway to make Poinciana a city

POINCIANA, Fla. — Work is officially underway to push for the incorporation of Poinciana.

The community of 47,000 people sits in both Osceola and Polk counties.

Some residents said the current situation is hitting homeowners' wallets hard.

Resident John Perez said when he found out his homeowner's insurance was about to more than double, he was shocked.

"My rates went from $950 a year to $2,200 a year," said Perez.

Perez said an insurance agent told him it was due to the distance from his house in Poinciana to the closest fire station.

The fire station in Haines City that normally responds to emergencies in village 7 in Poinciana is almost seven miles from Perez's driveway.

The insurance company told him homeowners more than five miles away have to pay a higher premium.

"There's a lot of people in this community now scrambling, looking for other insurance companies," said Perez.

Community volunteer Keith Laytham said the problem is just another example of why the villages and 47,000 people that make up Poinciana are ready to become a city.

"All these new homes are continuing to be built, but we're not getting roads built, we're not getting fire stations built. The infrastructure is not keeping up," said Laytham.

The work to incorporate is underway. At a meeting this week, organizers started collecting signatures in support of the move, and the goal is to have the issue on the November 2014 ballot.

Perez said he'll support it if it means results.

"Maybe we need to change so that things can change and we can get better service and more things happening in the community," said Perez.

The group, Poinciana Residents For Smart Change, has a meeting coming up to discuss incorporation and other issues in the community.