During Tuesdays Brentwood City Council, Mayor Bob Taylor requested a future agenda item that would present a fire and medical response solution that helps the residents within city limits.
Although Mayor Taylor could not be specific at the meeting what he was asking because it was under “future agenda items”, he is seeking four-fire stations within city limits and will likely be asking voters to support a plan — a Utility User Tax at a rate between 2-6% depending on the final numbers which would fund both fire and police.
According to recent polling disclosed last week by City Manager Gus Vina, Brentwood between 37-41% of Brentwood residents support the idea of a Utility User Tax.
Taylor made it clear that the City of Brentwood was not going to attempt to leave the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, but after two failed measures, Brentwood has to start worrying about Brentwood.
Taylor stated what happened on Saturday was unacceptable after a residential structure fire left the city uncovered for a period of 8-hours. During that response, a resident, firefighter and police officer was injured. The District also had to use just 3-engines on a call that requires at minimum five-engines. While fire attack was in progress, aid from Contra Costa Fire who was on the call had to return back to Antioch to battle a larger fire leaving East Contra Costa Fire on their own.
Taylor highlighted that and after next June when money runs out the Knightsen Station will close putting a further strain on the fire district. Brentwood currently has 1-fire station serving 60,000 residents within city limits.
City Manager Gus Vina indicated he will bring back a plan for discussion at the July 26, 2016 meeting.
Here is the transcript of what Mayor Taylor stated:
This motion is going to be pretty dramatic and I am going to take a dramatic tone. This is for a future agenda item and I have to be really careful because of legal and its not on their agenda.
Brentwood has to take a stand. That is the byline I am using. With what happened over this past weekend with our fire services. The lack of resources, inadequate fire services and medical for Brentwood is unacceptable. Despite the recent polling on our new tax its too critical of an issue for our city to give it up.
Brentwood is about 50% for calls for service within the fire district. The four stations that opened only have funding until 2017 then we are back to three stations with only one in Brentwood to cover 60,000 people—that is unacceptable.
The Master Plan called for nine stations with four are needed in Brentwood. The fire district has limited taxing ability and has twice failed to pass a revenue. Its time for Brentwood to step up to the plate and solve our own problem and protect life and property to the best of our ability.
Some folks are working hard to protect your wallets, this mayor and I am sure the council are working really hard to protect your life and that of your family. In addition to protecting life, believe it or not we have $8 billion I assets in this city, we are not going to give that up.
The recent poll indicated that over 71% of Brentwood residents believe the local government is headed in the right direction—local government is the city of Brentwood. We need to build upon that and make fire and medical response a top priority.
I am asking for this to be put on a future agenda item and our city manager come back at our next meeting with a plan.
23 comments
Thank you Bob Taylor for being a real leader. You would think with Steve Barr who is not only a fire board member but a candidate for county supervisor he would make this proposal. Instead, he continues to follow others. Joel Bryant and Erick Stonebarger could have proposed this also considering they both sit on the fire board.
No leadership with fire services in East County, nice to see someone taking charge!
As an Oakley resident, I can appreciate Brentwood funding the fire district so my family and I can be safe with additional resources entering the system and I do not have to pay another dime.
Thanks Brentwood
Completely Stoooopid. Disregarding the public poll results just doesn’t make sense.
Taylor is just another politician that doesn’t listen to the people. Cry us a river mayor.
Given Mayor Taylors comments last night and the accuracy of this article, this is exactly why the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District should never go to an elected board without districts. Proof again Brentwood is all about Brentwood no matter what they verbally claim, there actions say otherwise.
@ bill moon, you used bob taylor and leader in the same sentence
You funny
Although the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association does not take formal positions on proposed tax measures until the final language is published, we are highly likely to oppose any utility user tax to support basic services like emergency response. The work done by Hal Bray and Bryan Scott of ECV to develop a property tax reallocation proposal to increase funding for the east county fire district has our full support. It will remedy a long-standing inequity in tax rates, which provides only about half as much funding for this fire district as the county average, while cities and special districts within the district receive a disproportionately higher amount. Given the essential mutual aid nature of area emergency response, no other funding method is reasonable, nor does it make sense for Brentwood to plan to go it alone.
Hey Jacko, what you, Hal Bray and Bryan Scott haven’t quite figured out is that you are not going to reapportion anything. When this thing fails, 100 percent of the blame will be directly on you three. Even if you could, which you cannot, this fire district will be gone by the time funding came through. We don’t have years to wait, we have days. Either you are deaf or dumb, you pick.
From what I hear you don’t even live in this fire district, so why don’t you focus on your own issues?
It’s our safety, not your cause and we don’t appreciate you and your little “anti tax club” meddling.
Next time we won’t be so nice and will be happy to expose you.
Who is “we” shadow minion and aliases. You must have a lot of rocks in your pockets that you can say we. I think the idea is plausible and rectifies a wrong tax distribution. I welcome any and all comments that try to fix the situation. Take your rocks and fibber jabber and peddle it elsewhere. Voters and property owners are much smarter than you and your rocks.
It was no trouble for me to find the problem, and its a big problem.
So for you Mr. Unome this one is on me.
Because you make it so easy. Thanks Google!
http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2012/tax/property-tax-primer-112912.pdf
Right from the Legislative Annalists Office:
Lack of Local Control
“Unlike local communities in other states,
California residents and local officials have
virtually no control over the distribution of
property tax revenue to local governments.
Instead, all major decisions regarding property tax
allocation are controlled by the state. Accordingly,
if residents desire an enhanced level of a particular
service, there is no local forum or mechanism
to allow property taxes to be reallocated among
local governments to finance this improvement.
For example, Orange County currently receives
a very low share of property taxes collected
within its borders-about 11 percent. If Orange
County residents and businesses wished to expand
county services, they have no way to redirect
the property taxes currently allocated to other
local governments. Their only option would be
to request the Legislature to enact a new law-
approved by two-thirds of the members of both
houses…”
So the answer is no Unome,, its not plausible because its not legal.
Time for you to go back to kicking rocks. What an asshat!
UNOME,
Careful there Johnny, misery loves company.
And speaking of minions….
You fit right in with Jack, Bryan and Hal.
Unome, You say, “Voters and property owners are much smarter than you”
Like this Voter and property owner? Or were you talking about someone else?
https://eastcountytoday.net/brentwood-fire-destroys-home-fire-district-uncovered-for-8-hours/
With all of your double talk, I’m more than a little perplexed.
@Jack
What is ironic is a little birdy filled me how Bryan Scott was ready to tax the hell out of Brentwood to fund a library and provided a binder to Gus Vina on how to tax Brentwood to pay for a library. In fact, Scott was such a screwball, he almost cost the city residents its library.
Furthermore, he now does a 180 on fire service to protect the precious project and books that could burn down in a fire.
Perhaps the CoCo Tax Association might want to get on the right side of an issue for a change, especially you Jack. Last I googled your name, it appears you made poor choices in Pleasant Hill that got you unelected. Perhaps you should find a better group of friends than the two screwballs you are hang out with right now in Brentwood.
PLEASANT HILL — In a stunning rebuke, the City Council on Monday broke with the tradition of elevating the vice mayor to the mayor’s seat and bypassed Jack Weir, who has never held the top post.
A clearly stunned Jack Weir said, “If you will excuse me, I’ll be leaving the council meeting at this point.
“I am humiliated and I’m embarrassed for this council,” he added.
After Weir’s departure, the council elected Carlson vice mayor by a vote of 4-0.
http://www.eastbaytimes.com/contra-costa-times/ci_24646567/routine-council-shift-takes-dramatic-turn-pleasant-hill
Mr. Weir, you appear to be backing a dead horse, in Hal Bray & Bryan Scott/ECV and an over ambitious ideology. I came across a letter you wrote recently where you claimed support and that a certain Senator (Glazier) was working on legislation for reallocation.
I checked up on that.
You don’t and he isn’t.
So why don’t you guys listen to reality? Everyone tells you the same thing, but you wander around, name dropping and misquoting and misleading. You are stuck in a state of denial. It’s your behavior and company that has you on a hampster wheel of frustration. The harder you push, the more you run in place. Possibly it’s that tax club you think is important. It isn’t. I know spoiled children that act more responsibly.
It’s time to wake up Mr. Weir. You and your free ride plan doesn’t pencil out to anyone besides you, Hal, Bryan and the uneducated.
Brentwood citizens would be foolish to vote for this unless they wish to subsidize the rest of the district. It sounds to me like the “recent polling” didn’t show that a tax would pass. Are we just going to waste a bunch of money proving it once again? BAD idea.
One station for 60,000 residents and yet the city continues to issue new construction permits. How about a temporary freeze on all new construction until the citizens have proper coverage? Now THAT would be taking a bold stand, and it would certainly get a lot more people’s attention than the same old “raise taxes” spiel.
Isn’t what Mr. Taylor discussing a fire district for Brentwood only?
Why doesn’t Brentwood just tell everyone to stop sucking off their fire tax money and start their own department? Those cry babies in Discovery Bay and Oakley can do what ever they want then. This whole thing is just dumb. I would easily vote a bond in if Brentwood wants to break out of this joke. Who is in charge of this fire district anyway. It keeps going in circles and never makes progress.
There it is. The selfish attitude from the misinformed of Brentwood.
Residents of Brentwood pay less per capita into the fire district. It is everyone else that is subsidizing. So please stop sucking off our the rest of east county when it comes to east county tax dollars.
Residents and leaders of Brentwood have been told they cannot break out of the district. Control and oversight comes from a government body called LAFCO.
Kinda-sorta appears that Brentwwod is the crybaby, no?
I don’t know about Brentwood being misinformed but you are wrong Stan about Brentwood paying least. Brentwood is in the middle. Bethel Island pays the most per capita and has nothing. Brentwood pays second highest per capita and Oakley pays the lowest. This is why the ECV people support reapportionment of prop 13 tax set up. Too many unfair tax apportionments occur today. Fire is just one example. While it is a huge mountain to hurdle. If California voters and tax payers want it on the ballot they would need to organize and come together. The odds are very slim but just like the enactment of prop 13 it can be done. Don’t let anyone say it can’t. They are just trying to derail the idea.
Unome, I don’t know where you are getting your information but I know mine comes from a responsible source. As far as who pays what for fire service, I got my info from the auditor at the county. His name is Robert Campbell.
Also got info on re-apportionments. While anything is possible some things in particular are not probable. Tax re-apportionments top that list for a dozen or more reasons according to all of the local,county and state officials that I have spoken with. I don’t believe anyone is conspiring to derail the idea. I think they are simply telling it like it is.
So please, turn down the rhetoric about me being wrong or feel free to list your sources. Thanks.
Unome I have been following this topic with a fine tooth comb. The ECV reapportionment plan is completely unrealistic and has no possibility of saving this fire district. Every credible official says the same thing. Not sure why you think you know better but you don’t have an credibility other than voicing your opinion over and over. Don’t get me wrong, I refuse to vote for a utility rax, but suggesting the ECV plan having any chance is a foolish move.
No one supports them for good reason. The devil is in the details. Time to figure that part out if you haven’t already. Nothing is free.
Stan the rhetoric is not coming from me. Maybe you. Bethel Island pays about 14 cents per capita, Brentwood about 8 cents , and Oakley 6 cents. You can check the tax distribution with the State Board of Equalization and the county. You are wrong period. Bethel Island pays the most per capita. It’s been that way since prop 13 was enacted.
Yes, tax reapportionment would be monumental but not impossible.
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