On Tuesday April 7, the Ironhouse Sanitary District Board of Directors voted 3-2 against supporting the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District Benefit Assessment Tax.
The ECCFPD is seeking revenue to ensure the District can operate a five station model with 48 operational personnel. Without public support, the District will be reduced to three stations and firefighter layoffs.
Directors Michael Painter, Susan Morgan and Doug Scheer voted against the Benefit Assessment while directors David Contreras and Chris Lauritzen supported the Districts effort according to District Secretary Susan Walde.
As a result of the vote, Ironhouse Sanitary will return its ballot to the Fire District with 7 “no” votes.
During the meeting, Director Morgan led the discussion on why the District should oppose the fire benefit assessment. Thursday she explained her vote by saying the ECCFPD are calling this a Special Assessment, but they did not do the assessment as a special assessment and instead it became a general benefit.
“If you want to have the ability to use a special benefit you need to assess it that way and they didn’t,” explained Morgan.
She further stated what the fire district did was wrong and dishonest.
“They (ECCFPD) need to be honest with what they are doing. There is a better way to do it. That is not what they did,” said Morgan. “I don’t have a war with the fire district, but I just think what they did was wrong. Assess it properly and I’ll look it. I support our firefighters but I just can’t support this.”
When asked if it’s hypocritical for Ironhouse Sanitary District to increase its rates every year to fulfill budget needs, Morgan called it a different situation because of how the Special Districts were set up.
“We try to take as little as possible from ratepayers and make it work. The board works very hard to keep the rates low,” said Morgan. “It doesn’t mean we won’t see a small increase. We are trying to provide a service and perform certain things.”
ECCFPD Chief Hugh Henderson reiterated they were going after a Benefit Assessment because there is nowhere else to cut.
“As far as our budget, we have renegotiated our contracts so all employees are paying 100% of employee contribution, the district is paying 100% of its current cost and past cost, we are a consumer of the retirement system where we pay our the rate they tell us,” explained Henderson. “The only place we can cut right now is services.”
By cutting services, it will mean Brentwood Station 54 and Knightsen Station 94 will close for good.
“We can’t cut enough out of services and supplies; we are in the service business so our personnel provides the service which is the most expensive item in our budget. To make any further cuts will be cutting personnel which is closing another station,” said Henderson.
Last September, the Ironhouse Sanitary District voted 5-0 in support of the District; however on Tuesday, Michael Painter and Doug Scheer flipped their votes to oppose the fire district benefit assessment tax.
According to the Ironhouse Sanitary District, no one from the ECCFPD represented the District on Tuesday prior to the vote. Ballots are due back to the ECCFPD by April 27.
Click here for a copy of the ECCFPD Engineers Report: http://www.eccfpd.org/assets/documents/ECCFPDEngReport3-2-15Approved.pdf
10 comments
Ironhouse forgot the golden rule which is do not save a penny today in order to spend a dollar later. $700 a year versus a building or property that could go up in flames. Hope the ECCFPD takes a reeeeeeeally long time to respond to any incident at any of their properties. Fools!
Hypocrites for sure. Not buying Morgans explanation as it seems like she is confused.
The District is reaching out to Director Morgan to clarify matters. The Engineer’s report makes it clear that the Fire Suppression Benefit Assessment meets the criteria for a Special Benefit. It is a standard argument by the Anti-Tax groups, both State and Local, that all of Police and Fire Services are automatically a General Benefit. This argument has not been upheld in Court cases.
Geeeesh Steve, can you not get past yourself? People (most of them) have a differing opinion than you do! Let it go buddy. You and your paralyzed fire board are the odd men out. The only reason you have put this BAD tax in front of the voters is its easier to pass.
If you can’t be honest with yourself, at least have the damn decency to be honest with the voters.
After that, you are welcome to leave my county and my state. Good riddance.
They did the right thing. They are smart to realize this tax is nothing more than a band aid on cancer. It will not stop the bleeding and is nothing more than a Hail Mary by the fire district which would put a new tax in place which circumvents prop 13 and the original will of the voters.
Iron house gained some respect with their vote. I’m sure it wasn’t easy.
The purpose of a Benefit Assessment is to enhance services, not to maintain services. Thankfully the majority of the IIonhouse board understood that.
Benefit Assessment tax? GET OUT OF HERE! I am done with taxes! Enough is enough guys. Close those fire stations. WE ALL NEED TO MAKE SACRIFICES. Its the Christian thing to do, just like Jesus did.
I hope u all realize that 3 stations to cover 250 square miles is impossible. The fact that no one relizes how dangerous that is for the communities east contra costs fire serves is terrifying. I’m just a observer of what going in here not a local or voter . You can take my words serious when I say it’s danngerous to just have 3 stations, I work in an area where we cover 260 square miles out of 8 stations and roughly the same call volume and it’s even a stretch for us sometimes. Do the right thing for your loved ones and community
Josh, your mileage chart is a good hoopla but Cal Fire Takes care of 80% of this that is baron land. It is also a fact that the district had 8 stations until the politicians started medaling in things they have no idea about except payola. Great job Ironhouse and thank you Director Morgan for just saying NO.
Josh, when you “relize” fire board is the problem then you will realize that the issue is not about the statistics. It’s bad leadership.
Resident, while a lot of east co. Is barren land the fire protection needed is because so much of that barren land has changed into populated land without the fire department evolving. The current fire board which has decimated our fire stations, doesn’t come close to qualifying as “politicians”. They fear any kind of real election and ignore real solutions. The fire board itself doesn’t even qualify as a real district.
You can give them a “”medal” but I figured out a long time ago the we need to dump these bozos. They are the ones that have put residents like you and I in real danger.
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