The Board of Supervisors authorized a proposal by County Fire “STAFF” to spend up to $30,000 for a “public opinion survey” to determine how to best obtain voter approval for an INCREASE in fire taxes or fees. 

While details on the need for a tax increase have been sketchy so far, the desired INCREASE in annual taxes has been stated to be $1,840,000. That would be an INCREASE of about $235 per year for the average homeowner served by County Fire, or a near TRIPLEING CSA 48 fees. 

Proponents keep talking about the large wild land fires of the past two years. While an important topic, those State Responsibility Fires have little to do with County Fire, which is funded and responsible for LOCAL fire services.  

The Lockheed Fire alone had an estimated STATE cost in excess of $26,000,000. The current proposal to increase our LOCAL taxes does not even begin to address the funding needs for large, STATE responsibility fires.  

The survey is intended to determine, among other things,

- The best time to place a measure on a ballot,

- The most effective message for educating the public about the need for a tax increase. 

It is claimed that the survey should help County Fire decide if a Registered Voter election would have a better chance for success than a Proposition 218 (property owner only) election. 

Educate the public? Better chance for success? This sounds more like a marketing plan for a predetermined goal than a survey of public opinion. The survey is to take place by telephone, and the results are expected in April. 

The voters turned-down a similar proposal in 2007. The amount of increase sought in 2007 was for a considerably smaller increase – “only” $809,000 per year. 

The proposal was passed 3 to 1; motion by Supervisor Leopold, second by Coonerty.  Stone absent, Campos opposed.