Brentwood, CA — A group of area residents has formed a grass roots citizens action committee to identify and implement methods to better fund fire and emergency medical services for the East Contra Costa area. The committee is called the East County Voters for Equal Protection (ECV).
Formation of the committee was motivated by the inability of the local fire district, the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD), to staff and maintain an adequate number of fire stations and staff. This has resulted in their failure to respond to 9-1-1 calls for fire and medical emergencies in a timely manner, especially during periods when their three fire engines are busy fighting fires. The number of District stations has declined from eight to three in recent years.
The mission of ECV is to improve funding for the safety and well-being of the 110,000 residents of the ECCFPD by implementing a fair and equitable property tax reallocation so that funding levels in the 249-square-mile district are comparable to other fire districts in the county, rather than at a level one-fourth to one-third of those levels.
The citizens committee is comprised of several dozen residents from Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island and Oakley, and is still in the formation stage, according to organizers Hal Bray and Bryan Scott. It has met so far in Summerset in Brentwood, at several Discovery Bay locations, and at coffee shops throughout the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD).
The group has also held informal communications with members of county staff, the Discovery Bay CSD, the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association and political stakeholders as well as numerous fire district managers, Fire District Task Force members, and industry consultants.
“If the citizens don’t organize and make their desires heard, we’ll end up with fire district funding that various government entities want, not what the residents need,” said Hal Bray, one of the organizers of the group and Co-Chair. Bray is a former communications services sales executive for SBC (now AT&T) and Vice Chair for the Contra Costa Republican Party.
Co-Chair Bryan Scott believes the current residents of East County are the victims of history in that the property tax funding level for fire and emergency medical services remains as set when the area was rural farm land, mostly corn fields and fruit orchards. Compared to other parts of the county the ECCFPD is funded at a level one-third to one-fourth what other areas receive.
This low funding level has forced the ECCFPD to reduce the number of fire stations from eight to three, extending response times and lowering service levels to below adequate levels, according to an ECCFPD Task Force report.
Scott has served the community as County Library Commissioner and Vice President and Director of the Brentwood Library Foundation, and has also written three opinion pieces, published locally, on the fire the district funding topic.
The community group is in the process of creating its website and Facebook page. An email mailing list is being compiled of area residents who want to stay informed on district funding issues. Those wishing to subscribe to this list should send an email expressing interest to [email protected].
For further information about the group’s meetings or other activities email Hal Bray ( [email protected] ) or Bryan Scott ( [email protected] )
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“East County Voters for Equal Protection” is a grass roots citizens action committee formed to address the unequal funding of fire and emergency medical services existing in 249 square miles of Eastern Contra Costa County. About 110,000 residents, as well as those who work and play in Eastern Contra Costa, have services funded at a level one-fourth to one-third of those levels in other parts of Contra Costa County.
For more information contact committee Co-Chairs Hal Bray at [email protected] or Bryan Scott [email protected].
11 comments
It’s group like this and the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association why the District will never be able to pass a tax. Way to go fire board, you have already let the anti-tax folks win because they are better mobilized, better at communicating, and already have a head start.
Anyone who knows Hal Bray knows he is not for new taxes. Clever anti-tax folks under a new name working on a solution that will never happen.
With the firefighters taking a raise and this new fee coming, the hell with the fire district, no support from me.
About time people of east county do something. This fire board has destroyed the district while patting themselves on the back. Best of luck Hal and Bryan
I am so glad to see a group working for the citizens of east county and not trying to tax us to death. I will never vote for a new tax after they want to charge me a fee to call 911. Shame on this fire board and the union they make me sick to my stomach.
This group will do nothing but use slander techniques to push their own agenda. They don’t care about the district….they have no idea how a fire district is run or how the fire service operates as a whole. They will do and say whatever it takes to spread their lies and mis-information. Jist like every other tea-party anti-tax group out there. Fortunately, as most grass roots groups fall by the way-side….this one will too.
I hope the public is not fooled by this group because of the name or what they say they want to do. This is the same type of group as the CoCo Taxpayers Association under a new name and members. All one has to do is read Hal Brays many letters to the editors in newspapers. No one should give this group much thought.
Under any conditions I am glad to see a citizens group finally attempt do something. It is better than nothing and that what was happening…..nothing!
The only purpose of this group is to mis-lead voters when the time comes to vote for anything that hints of a new tax or assessment. They could care less if the district thrives or fails….their agenda is only to reject new taxes no matter what the impact is. Don’t be fooled by their rhetoric.
Clampers? Is this for real?
Among their stated goals is the desire to gain more concessions from the Union. They want to kill or radically modify pensions beyond what the law allows. The ongoing talent drain within the department is probably going to accelerate if these guys get any sympathetic ears.
The whole idea of envying what your neighboring district has without going into the details about why they have better service is either ignorant or disingenuous. Not sure which. They fail to mention the reasons districts like San Ramon have better service is because their residents stepped up and paid for it with supplemental taxes and fees. These guys don’t want to do that but still expect the same level of service. If they don’t get their demands met they intend to blow up the district. Call that what you want.
Don’t know about you, but inviting public safety chaos and putting a hundred thousand people in danger while you play chicken with the union doesn’t strike me as very smart.
This is great. All community residents need to know what is going on with their tax funding. To advocate for more funding is commendable. Some of the suggestions heard are just good common sense. More responsibility and funding from County Health for EMT response. More lobbying to state and local officials for re-apportionment of taxes collected. A closer look at the extensive costs of benefits. Re establish a higher salary from re-apportionment. You will probably see the sky is falling crowd. They will exaggerate promise and say anything just to promote higher taxes when we all pay the same. Kudos to you Scott for being proactive in seeking a ” realistic solution ” instead of the past poor decisions and waste of funds. Thanks also to Hal, I have seen his honest exposure of local government trying to take advantage of the public. Finally we can get people with real intelligence to help find a real solution.
BI95, there are no specifics offered in that press release, but you’re already acting like it’s the second coming. Have they told you where the money is coming from? Reading between the lines, this is taking money out of the existing city budgets. Probably as much as 10% for Brentwood. Which programs are you planning to kill to make that work?
People are going to be pissed when you dupe them into your cause, only to find out you plan to attack their favorite service or organization. Whether it’s schools, parks and rec, libraries or something else. Shouldn’t you be telling them upfront?
You must personally know Scott and this Hal guy or something. But when I read their stuff, there is no mention of any concern for better treatment of existing department employees. You insist this could lead to better pay for fire fighters. They make no such claim.
Doesn’t look like any of you guys are even on the same page. Just another bunch who’s angry with government but don’t have any specifics on how to fix it.
This plan is not re-apportionment. It’s something else. Re-apportionment can only happen at the state level. You should start the real intelligent effort by first getting the terms correct. If you confuse people from the get go you’re discrediting your cause with incompetence.
But maybe BSing people into joining is the point?
What’s that they say about putting lipstick on a pig? Don’t be fooled by a fancy name.These are folks that are running our fire district in to the ground. Makes me sick.
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