I’ve talked with many knowledgeable locals, listened to Milo’s thorough interview with Fire Chief Sean Grinell & Measure G supporter Ann Marcino on KGGV FM, & have attempted to decipher the often convoluted language in the Voter Information pamphlet & ballot I received in the mail a few days ago.
If you missed Milo’s interview or have misplaced your ballot, you can follow the links below:
- Milo interview with Fire Chief Sean Grinell & Ann Marcino on KGGV FM: http://www.microbulletinboard.com/Touch/08'04_Apr/mt080401_Milo-Measure'G'(60m-16kBps11kHzM).mp3
- Voter Information Pamphlet: http://www.sonoma-county.org/RegVoter/pdf/20080506_sample_ballot.pdf
The Russian River Fire Protection District has asked for a tax increase to pay for the hiring of three more fire fighters & to maintain their equipment properly. Currently, homeowners of single-family homes pay $40 per year in taxes for the RRFPD. Business owners pay considerably more.
They initially want single-family homeowners to pay $80 per year with the authorization to incrementally raise these fees up to $160 per single-family home. The RRFPD tax is assessed based upon units of risk (i.e. different types of dwellings & businesses have different levels of risk, which are referred to as “units”). We are currently paying $10 per unit. Mr. Grinell told Milo that the RRFPD currently needs $20 per unit, but that Measure G also seeks authority to increase these payments to a maximum of $40 per unit (yes, they ultimately want to QUADRUPLE the amount).
Below, I’ve created a table with some common types of properties & businesses, their assigned number of risk units, & the maximum amount of yearly tax that would be assessed if Measure G passes. I got these numbers from the Voter Information pamphlet:
| Property | # of | Unit | Amt. |
| Single family home | 4 | $40 | $160 |
| Condominium Unit | 4 | $40 | $160 |
| Parking Lot | 8 | $40 | $320 |
| SFH with 2ndary use | 10 | $40 | $400 |
| Dwelling w/granny unit | 10 | $40 | $400 |
| Beach/waterfront | 10 | $40 | $400 |
| Single story store | 12 | $40 | $480 |
| Convenience store | 12 | $40 | $480 |
| Mobile home park | 14 | $40 | $560 |
| Restaurant | 15 | $40 | $600 |
| Retail nursery | 15 | $40 | $600 |
| Gas station | 15 | $40 | $600 |
| Bar/Lounge | 20 | $40 | $800 |
| Religious building | 20 | $40 | $800 |
| Radio station | 25 | $40 | $1000 |
| Theater | 30 | $40 | $1200 |
| Mini golf course | 30 | $40 | $3360 |
| B&B | 30 | $40 | $3360 |
Fire Chief, Sean Grinell says that they need more personnel because our population has increased; they haven’t received a tax increase since 1987; it’s harder to attract & retain volunteers due to stricter requirements & the 300 hours per year of training required; & much of their current funding is being redirected to the Russian River Redevelopment project.
RRFPD currently has two administrators, nine firefighters, & four volunteer fire department members. The majority of the tax increase would go to the salary & benefits of the three additional fire fighters they propose to add to the department. The three new hires would require about $250K per year.
The Fire Station responds to 1500 emergency calls per year, which averages to three per day. Many of these calls are medical emergencies, which require an ambulance & paramedics with highly specialized training.
Why I’m Against It:
Can’t the RRFPD simply request the additional $10 per unit increase they need right now? According to Mr. Grinnell, this would cover the costs of the three new fire fighters they need. Most of us care about public safety & our fire fighters & would probably vote in favor of increasing our taxes by this amount, which would be twice as much as they receive now.
My main problem with Measure G is that it would authorize the RRFPD to increase our taxes to $40 per unit, which is QUADRUPLE the current amount! Measure G makes no provision for public oversight, nor does it clearly stipulate exactly what conditions would trigger these future tax increases.
Paying the maximum $40 per unit would be financially prohibitive for many individuals & businesses. Of course we want our fire department to have the resources it needs. Alas, you can’t squeeze blood from a stone. The economic downturn has really hurt many of our residents. I know people who’ve been out of work for months on end. I also know people who are behind in rent or whose homes are on the verge of foreclosure.
Our businesses are also struggling. Three businesses in downtown Guerneville have declared bankruptcy this year. Now is NOT the time to ask them for more money. When you look at the table of business categories, units, & costs shown above, the amounts may not look terribly onerous. Until you consider the fact that some businesses fall into multiple categories. For example, Pee Wee Mini Golf on Drake Road also has a parking lot & a little store (that’s 50 units & $2000 per year) The Guerneville Community Church has a religious building, a radio station, AND a parking lot (that’s 53 units & $2120 per year).
Ouch! I think it’s incredibly rude to screw people that hard without first bringing flowers & treating them to dinner, drinks & a movie.
If we’re going to have tax increases, I would also like to see more money going to our schools, Parks & Recreation districts, & for building & staffing a residential rehab center/mental health facility for our homeless population (preferably somewhere WAY out of town & REALLY secluded).
Perhaps we need to simply create a single Russian River district to consolidate & finance all of these separate & under-funded special districts. In the long run, we will definitely need to increase the amount of taxes we pay in order to support our public services & infrastructure. This will require fairness, transparency, & some SERIOUS planning. We can’t afford to simply throw money at problems in a random, piecemeal fashion.
Comparison of Fire Protection District Fees
During his interview with Milo, Mr. Grinnell gave a quick run-down of what single family homeowners pay in other fire protection districts:
- Monte Rio: $0
- Occidental: $80
- Goldridge (South Sebastopol): $20
- Forestville: $40
- Rincon alley: $48
- Cloverdale: $88
- Valley of the Moon: $40
- Kenwood: $20, plus $10 per extra “out-building”
- Valley of the Moon: $40
- Schell Vista: $0, but they’ve raised public bonds for it.
- Windsor: $147.50
- Bodega Bay: $468 (omigawd! That’s totally INSANE)
Posts
5 comments:
I'm in firm agreement. This is a historically bad time to ask for a tax increase. Um, what's up with the risk units assessed for a PARKING LOT??? IT'S A FLAT PIECE OF PAVED GROUND! HELLO???
And also, go ask Monte Rio for more money. They need to start paying their fair Goddamn share. they got the fancy new park, which only the local meth-heads and their pitbulls use, and their spiffy new Koret conference center, which precisely no one will use anytime soon. Monte Rio is a money hole.
Come back and ask up a for a $10 increase. Until then, no more dollars from me, thank you.
Ummm, Lighthouse Keeper? I think Monte Rio has its own fire district ... But I agree, this is a REALLY bad time to ask for a tax increase. Especially one that's potentailly so HUGE!
Did any of you attend the tax meetings? Do any of you attend Board meetings? Get ALL of the facts. Do not rely on hear say, or rumor mill. Not one of the people that said they oppose this tax has, or will apply to become a volunteer. I hope all who vote no will remember why only one firefighter was on the fire engine when they needed help. Do you know that happens? Do you know how unsafe that is for the community, not to mention that firefighter, or that firefighters family. The fire department is asking for a max. of what equates to .44 cents per day. That's not the immediate amount they are looking for. That is the maximum, which is not expected to be reached for the next 15, 18, hopefully 20 years. Gee how much do you pay for coffee, smokes, or whatever else. Think about it.
Dear Anonymous: No, I didn't attend the meeting, but I've read the Measure G literature & have followed the articles in our local papers. I would have voted YES on Measure G if they had simply asked for the funds they currently need, instead of demanding carte-blanche for incrementally raising the amount over the next few years. Individuals & businesses are really struggling economically right now. Those of us who don't think our incomes will go up have a hard time with committing to our taxes going up in such an open-ended fashion. Recent home & property buyers are already paying astronomical levels of property taxes (often assessed at more than our parcels are currently worth) & few people have any real employment security these days. You mention that the tax would only cost .44 cents per day. I frequently need to raid the change jar towards the end of our pay period & hence can confidently state that .44 cents per day can amount to a BIG deal. I do feel that we folks along the Russian River really DO need to seriously raise our taxes at some point for emergency responders, schools, parks, roads, blight removal, social services, etc. But FIRST we need to successfully promote economic development so folks can AFFORD to pay these taxes.
As for people not volunteering for the Fire Department: Unfortunately, the current rules & requirements make it extremely difficult for folks to qualify these days. Plus, the 300 hours per year in training is an immense burden for anyone with family & job responsibilities.
Yes, we DO need to increase taxes for our firefighters. Alas, Measure G took the wrong approach. Mr. Grinnell & the other Measure G proponents need to go back to the drawing board & come up with a proposal with language & content that doesn't scare the heck out of people.
Post a Comment