Agriculture Today - July 2008
Fresno County Fire District proposes tax increase
Over the next two months, the Fresno County Fire Protection District (FCFPD) will be asking its citizens whether they want to pay more for fire services. The FCFPD Board of Directors approved a plan two weeks ago to ask property owners in the district to pay a benefit assessment tax increase to staff three additional stations within the district. Ballots will be mailed out to property owners beginning July 11 with the election being completed on Sept. 15.
Since most FCFB members and affected property owners are unaware of the upcoming election, Agriculture Today offers the following answers to some of the commonly asked questions regarding the FCFPD benefit assessment. An informational meeting was held last month at the FCFB office to provide the Board of Directors with details of the proposed assessment. After much discussion and consideration, the FCFB Executive Committee did not take a position on the measure, but decided a better role for the organization would be to help educate landowners/voters in making an informed decision.
1. What is the FCFPD? Who governs the FCFPD?
Established in 1949 as the then Mid Valley Fire Protection District, the FCFPD is a stand alone special district that provides fire services for approximately 2,655 square miles and a population of more than 220,000 citizens. It is bounded on the east by the Sierra Nevada Mountains and on the west by the Coastal Mountain Range. Community served include Calwa, Easton, Malaga, Del Rey, Caruthers, San Joaquin, Tranquillity, Prather, Friant, Wonder Valley, Cantua Creek, Three Rocks, Five Points, Centerville, Tivy Valley, Sand Creek and the Cities of San Joaquin, Parlier, Mendota and Huron.
Even though their primary responsibility is fire prevention and suppression, over 70% of the FCFPD calls are medically-related. Medical calls are technically the responsibility of Fresno County, not FCFPD, but FCFPD responds because of their moral obligation as emergency responders to do so.
The FCFPD is governed by a board of seven members appointed by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors for a term of four years. Two members must reside within boundaries of former Westside Fire Protection District (District 4) and five members must reside within boundaries of former Mid Valley Fire Protection District (Districts 1, 2, 4 and 5).
2. When will ballots be mailed out? And to whom?
(A) Friday, July 11, 2008
(B) All owners of property within the proposed assessment district will receive a ballot in the mail. This ballot is your chance to voice your approval or disapproval of the proposed FCFPD’s benefit assessment.
3. When is the deadline to return ballots?
Ballots have to be received by Sept. 15, prior to or at the District’s Board meeting held that day. No late ballots will be counted, and postmarked ballots do not count.
4. What will the assessment be used for?
The assessment will be used to fully staff three new stations. The FCFPD plans to build these new fire stations by 2012, using separate funds for the construction. The proposed station locations are located near Prather, north of Reedley and near Interstate 5 and Panoche Road.
5. What is a benefit assessment?
A special charge on property used to pay for certain improvements. It links the cost of public improvements to those property owners who specifically benefit from those improvements. The amount of an assessment on a particular property is related to the amount of benefit that property receives. The boundaries of a benefit assessment district may or may not coincide with those of a city, county, or special district.
6. How does the breakdown of the proposed FCFPD’s assessment work? How much could I expect to pay?
Depending on your parcel, you will pay the one or more of the following amounts:
- Residential 1& 2 Family Parcel = $78.62/per residence
- Residential 3 or more living units = $51.64/per unit
- Parcel with commercial = $181.10
- Parcel with agriculture = $11.22
- Institutional Parcel= $137.08
- Warehouse/Storage = $150.30
- Non-designated/vacant unapproved parcel = $2.98
For example, if you have agriculture land ($11.22) with a single residence ($78.62), an employee home ($78.62) and a warehouse ($150.30) all located on a single parcel, you will be assessed an annual total of $318.76. In subsequent years, you could see a three percent annual increase for each of the assessments.
7. How will the ballots be counted?
Ballots are weighted according to the proportionate financial obligation of the property. For every $1 of the fire assessment = 1 vote. With a $78 assessment, one would have 78 votes. In the example of answer #6, the property owner would have 318 votes
The assessment may be imposed only if weighted ballots submitted in support of the assessment exceed the weighted ballots in opposition. Only ballots returned by Sept. 15 will be counted, and out of those, the assessment will pass if a simple majority is received in support.
8. How long will the assessment last and how much will the assessment raise for the FCFPD?
There is no sunset clause on the $3.26 million assessment, meaning there is no expiration date. Additionally, it can automatically increase up to three percent a year until the year 2025.
9. What property assessment tax does the FCFPD currently receive?
FCFPD receives 10 percent of the 1 percent of property tax dollars. For example, if a resident has a $120,000 assessed home in Fresno County, that resident is currently paying the FCFPD $120. The benefit assessment would be added to your existing property tax.
10. What is the FCFPD’s current revenue?
FCFPD's Total Projected Revenue went from $11.8 million in the 2004/05 budget year to $19.76 million in 2007/08, an increase of 67 percent. FCFPD's Income from Property Tax went from $9.77 million in 2004/05 to $13.75 million in 2007/08, an increase of 41 percent. FCFPD's Allocated Reserve Funds went from $271,400 in 2004/05 to $6.8 million in 2007/08, an increase of 2,405 percent.
11. What are the FCFPD’s current expenditures and labor cost?
FCFPD’s expenditures (other than salaries) went from $2.36 million in the 2004/05 budget year to $6.32 million in 2007/08, an increase of 168 percent. Their personnel labor contract (Schedule A contract with CAL FIRE) went from $9.35 million in 2004/05 to $13.5 million in 2007/08, an increase of 44 percent.