Protect Felton Emergency Services
I live near downtown Felton and 24 years ago, while pregnant, I experienced a medical emergency early in the morning. My husband called 911 and while he was still on the phone with the dispatcher, he could hear the sirens coming. Within 30 seconds, they were on the move and within two minutes I got the help I needed.
If the current 218 tax assessment for Felton Fire Protection District fails, we stand to lose this kind of rapid emergency response. We will also lose local control of these vital emergency services.
To be honest, when I first heard about a property tax for FFPD, I was skeptical. Given the bad press they’d had over the past few years, I wondered why put more money into a failing organization? But since the 2025 LAFCO report that called out the deficiencies, FFPD has made changes and turned things around.
I did research and attended a town hall meeting. It became clear to me that this assessment is the only way to maintain local control of our emergency services and ensure that the next time one of us calls 911, we get the best possible outcome. As LAFCO Executive Officer Joe Serrano said at the June 8 Felton Fire District Board Meeting, “There is no Plan B.”
It was easy for me to cast my vote in support of the tax assessment after examining the facts. Go to fc4er.org for more information.
Hilde Largay
Felton
Yes on Felton Fire Assessment
My “yes” on the Prop 218 Assessment for Felton Fire Protection District was cast with no equivocation after examining the facts.
LAFCO, the commission that oversees local fire districts, indicated in a 2025 analysis that Felton Fire Protection District was not financially viable as a going concern for several reasons: 1. National and local studies have indicated it is increasingly hard to staff an all-volunteer department due to more rigorous regulations along with economic and demographic shifts. 2. Costs have risen significantly over several decades, and call volume for Felton has tripled in the same period. 3. The property tax allotment to Felton Fire is unchanged since 1946 and woefully inadequate to support a station handling 900 calls. (You would need $17.08 to buy what a dollar bought in 1946.)
The $1.7 million raised by the assessment will allow equipment to be replaced and maintained at proper intervals; pay enough firefighters 24/7 to take out an engine as soon as a call comes in while retaining our volunteer crew, and it will free other funds to address the needs of the 72-year-old station. Expecting another local district to address these issues without a tax increase is unrealistic.
Furthermore, LAFCO indicated on June 8 that if the assessment fails, it could take 18 to 24 months to put a reorganization plan together. That is not enough time to address the immediate needs identified by LAFCO last year.
Chief Blum has done a fabulous job resurrecting Felton Fire from past travails. His volunteer force is operating at the NFPA 1710 standards of a paid force. Felton Fire will begin interviewing for a permanent chief shortly. Imagine what the candidates and our volunteers may do if the assessment fails. Would you go to work for an employer facing an unfunded financial crisis?
A “yes” vote will ensure Felton Fire’s turnaround can continue.
Robert Connor
Felton
Concerns Over Housing Proposal
I have been a resident on Tabor Drive in Scotts Valley for 46 years and am writing to voice my opposition to the proposed development at 125 Bethany Drive.
Based on the information provided by the city at its meeting on July 1, the proposed development would demolish the existing commercial office center at the location and would feature one five-story building and one three-story building, totaling 96 units of 100% affordable housing. This has always been a family community and this proposed development is unacceptable and has no place in our neighborhood.
We do not need increased traffic and parking problems as we already have enough with the elementary school at the intersection of Bethany Drive and Tabor Drive. There are surely other parcels in Scotts Valley that TV could be considered for this project that would not impact our already congested residential community.
How could a company in Kansas possibly know the impact on our small community in attempting to meet the needs of an affordable housing development? A representative of The Prime Co. did not even attend the informational meeting even though they were invited.
I urge the Scotts Valley Planning Department to carefully review and scrutinize the pending application from The Prime Co. and insist that the requested studies be completed to comply with the legal standards of our community.
Joy Bertrand
Scotts Valley
Best Path Forward for Felton Fire
Last summer, Felton homeowners formed Felton Community for Emergency Response (FC4ER) to research the options facing our community’s fire and emergency response services. Today we have more than 75 volunteers.
We have met with Fire Chiefs, LAFCO, our County Supervisor, individual FFPD members and representatives from districts whose assessments failed and later dissolved. Our goal has been to understand the options—their cost, and what level of service they would provide.
The alternatives most often discussed in the 2025 LAFCO report were CSA48 and Zayante Fire. The report estimated that CSA48 would require approximately $3-4 million annually to serve Felton. Applying CSA48’s assessment structure to Felton would generate less than $1 million, with no explanation how Felton would be charged for the gap in funding.
We have asked repeatedly for information about what level of service could be provided if Zayante assumed responsibility for Felton, and what it would cost. No detailed analysis or cost estimate was provided. Zayante currently handles about 300 calls annually, and adding Felton would quadruple their call volume. The LAFCO report concluded that maintaining Felton’s service level would require additional funding.
Zayante, CSA48 and LAFCO informed us that Felton Fire would need to dissolve before any future structure would be explored. After nine months of research, FC4ER concluded that maintaining an independent Felton Fire Protection District, supported by the proposed benefit assessment, is the best path forward for our community.
Rich Alter
Felton
The Right Funding for Felton Fire
I’ve heard some confusion about why Felton Fire is proposing a 218 special benefits assessment instead of a straight parcel tax to properly fund the district. Here is why a benefits assessment is the best option:
- More Equitable: Instead of everyone paying the same flat rate, an independent engineering report analyzes each property’s size, fire risk, number of structures, travel time from the station and other factors. Owners pay different amounts in proportion to the benefit they receive based on those calculations, which is the fairest way to share the cost of the service.
- Lower Cost for Most Residents: Because costs are distributed equitably, the vast majority of homeowners will pay less than they would under a flat parcel tax. For 90% of property owners, the cost is $580-650 per year (about $50/month).
- Strict Accountability and Local Control: Under the California Constitution, these funds can only be spent on items listed on the ballot and the engineering report. There are annual reporting requirements. If excess revenue is collected, it must be refunded or used for enhanced services by law. As a community, we can request our elected FFPD Board members to choose the refund vs. the enhancement. Felton Fire will also establish a citizen oversight committee for added transparency.
- Proven Method: This is a standard funding mechanism used all over the state. It’s been used for years by County Fire and recently for local mosquito abatement. Many items on your property tax bill are special benefits assessments. It’s the same funding method that Pajaro Valley and Branciforte Fire used when they were trying to raise funds to stay independent.
Felton Fire is doing the right thing to stabilize our district. Voting “yes” ensures our emergency services remain reliable and local.
Mark Hansen
Felton
