To rectify County Fire budget, supervisors eye parcel tax - FP-5

[Moose]

I too have a folder of appeal forms and rejections from each year I paid. 

[Wrightwood]

[Cheapskate]

The way I understand it, the county supes should inform us during an October meeting what version of the parcel tax for fire protection they intend to put on the Nov 2020 ballot.

If they don't (thinking we'd forget), your repeal initiative will be useful. https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20190613/county-board-votes-down-parcel-tax-hike

[Wrightwood]

Case CIVDS1826559 - RED BRENNAN-V-BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Action: 

RULING ON SUBMITTED MATTER
09/10/2019 - 4:10 PM DEPT. S23

DONALD ALVAREZ, JUDGE 
CLERK: MONICA REAL-RAMOS 
-
COURT RULES AS FOLLOWS ON SUBMITTED MATTER:
THE COURT NOW RENDERS ITS RULING ON SUBMITTED MATTER AS FOLLOWS: 
-
MOTION
THE RED BRENNAN GROUP'S MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL IS DENIED. 
DEFENSE EVIDENTIARY OBJECTIONS 1 THRU 3 ARE SUSTAINED, AND THE COURT GRANTS DEFENSE REQUEST 
FOR JUDICIAL NOTICE AS TO EXHIBITS 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, AND 8. 
CORRESPONDENCE COVERSHEET GENERATED TO MAIL COPY OF MINUTE ORDER/RULING TO COUNSEL OF RECORD. 
NOTICE GIVEN BY JUDICIAL ASSISTANT
ACTION - COMPLETE
=== MINUTE ORDER END === 

[Wrightwood]

Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting       
Meeting date/time:    9/24/2019 10:00 AM
San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Funding

https://sanbernardino.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=7727822&GUID=2B288CB7-524D-446C-8236-430E83DCF954

[Cheapskate]

So possibly recommendations for the Nov 2020 ballot will come this Tuesday.  Thanks.

[tcaarabians]

Rumor has it that there is a petition circulating to repeal the FP-5 fee/tax.  Does anyone know about this?  I'd like to read it.  thx. Cheryl

[ForestGal]

There is one at the Village Grind in Wrightwood. 

[Elk]

There was a guy at Stater Bros. in Phelan collecting signatures over the last few weeks as well.

[tcaarabians]

Thanks.  If anyone knows of an online site - please advise.  Cheryl o7o

[Wrightwood]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA4mlNk6C4M

[tcaarabians]

Thanks for this. I also checked the Red Brennan website. They do not have information regarding a petition.  It appears that the Supes will be putting the fee/tax to a vote prior to Jan. 2021.  In the meantime, it has been implemented and appears on our property tax bill. I will pay it without protest.  Cheryl o7o

[Bob C]

Thanks.  If anyone knows of an online site - please advise.  Cheryl o7o

I doubt there is such a thing. Those typical "change dot org" type sites don't mean anything

[Wrightwood]

[Cheapskate]

Didn't the Supes already vote to put the FP-5 expansion on the Nov 2020 ballot? I'm confused what signing this group's petition does that won't happen already.

[redbrennangroup]

[Cheapskate]

What about this story is false? http://www.hidesertstar.com/news/article_6cd0f11c-dff3-11e9-8b9e-cbd6aa6416bf.html

[tcaarabians]

I'm interested to know that too Cheapskate. Dawn Rowe has been removed as a Supervisor by the Court. That due to an illegal appointment process held behind closed doors vs in an open meeting.

Where I am on this is that I didn't like the process for the vote. I want the F.D. to be fully funded. I did not protest the vote. I will vote for it if it's on the ballot. Cheryl

[lwt42]

Where I am on this is that I didn't like the process for the vote. I want the F.D. to be fully funded. I did not protest the vote. I will vote for it if it's on the ballot. Cheryl

There are two sides to this, certainly.

One side is fully funding agencies like law enforcement and fire.  These are critical, and our Supervisors should make sure this happens.  They've covered the shortfall before, and there is nothing wrong with the County continuing to do so.

I'm for funding, and I'm not opposed to a properly enacted tax or fee to do so, if needed.

That's what happened when FP-5 was formed originally, by a vote of the people of Helendale, to better fund their service.  (There are zones named FP-1 through FP-6). 

We didn't get to vote on FP-5.

This was all caused by the County Board of Supervisors threatening the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Board (also the Board of Supervisors) to cut their supplemental funding.

[tcaarabians]

When you look at the Fire District budget - an enormous piece of it is for paramedic and ambulance services.  An enormous part of those services are paid via Medicare & Medi-Cal at lower reimbursement rates. A lot of cost-shifting goes on to balance that part of the fire budget. Lovingood was correct when he raised that issue in the Supe/Fire District discussions. I don't know if there was any discussion about an increase in the sales tax to cover a part of that cost. It should be looked at a long with other ideas. I do know there is no way I am going to support anything that cuts the F.D. budget at a time when wild fires are a more serious threat than ever before and insurance companies are cancelling policies and jacking their rates up. If the Red Brennan Group's petition makes it to the ballot - we'd better be discussing offsetting the budget loss at the same time we're casting our ballots.