Felton Fire District’s Parcel Fee a Mystery
This is a response to the Sept. 19 Press Banner article, “Felton Fire District Faces Concerns Over Parcel Tax Proposal.” I, like many others, have so many questions regarding the proposed parcel fee of $700. Really? Where did that figure come from? How was it calculated? $700 per parcel is more than some residents pay currently on property tax.
There apparently have been several meetings with Felton Fire and the Board, resulting in no clear answers or information. I did read the July 25, 2025, LAFCO report regarding Felton Fire Protection District and the many proposals to resurrect Felton Fire. Sadly, nowhere did I find any Root Cause Analysis or a Corrective Action Plan—two things mandatory anytime there is a failure in a system or product.
Further, the fee or tax apparently was for Pensions (CalPers) and Salaries, and a mention of aging equipment. We should not be throwing money to solve an issue, when they, and we, don’t even know how they got to this point.
FFPD has seen four different fire chiefs, board member resignations, a reduction in the number of active volunteers, and the discontinuation of a two-year agreement with Ben Lomond Fire Protection District (BLFPD) for operational services after only six months in effect. Why?
Don’t ask for money until you answer the root problem. Just giving money to Felton Fire with no plan to fix the problem is a waste. Perhaps they do not need the money, they just need better management.
Mark Stovall
Felton
