Property owners within the Felton Fire Protection District have until next Friday to return ballots on a proposed benefit assessment that would provide additional funding for fire protection and emergency response services.
The district mailed official assessment ballots on May 20 as part of the Proposition 218 process. A public hearing and ballot tabulation are scheduled for Friday, July 24, at 6 p.m. at the Felton Fire Protection District station, 131 Kirby St., in Felton.
As of Tuesday, more than 900 ballots had been returned, the district stated on social media.
If approved, the assessment would begin in fiscal year 2026-27 and is estimated to generate approximately $1.7 million annually. The proposed first-year maximum rate for a single-family residential parcel is $697.43. Rates for other property types would vary based on property use, size and factors including fire risk, fire hazard severity zones and travel time from the station.
The assessment would fund three primary areas: increased firefighter staffing, training and retention; maintaining rapid response capabilities with a fully staffed fire station; and maintenance and replacement of firefighting equipment and apparatus.
Felton Fire Protection District serves approximately 6,000 permanent residents and an estimated 1.5 million to 1.7 million visitors annually. The district provides fire protection, prevention and Basic Life Support emergency medical services, responding to structure fires, wildland fires, vehicle accidents and rescues.
The district is currently staffed by an all-volunteer force due to budget constraints. If approved, the assessment would provide funding for recruitment, training and retention and allow the district to increase staffing from its current two-person initial response to at least three personnel on an initial response, 24 hours a day.
Funding for the district comes primarily from local property tax revenue, which provides approximately $1.01 million annually and accounts for about 93% of recurring revenue. District documents state operating costs have exceeded recurring revenues in recent years and reserve funds used to cover deficits have been reduced.
Without new reliable funding, the district “may be annexed” into County Service Area 48, according to the ballot guide. The guide states that such a change could result in property owners being subject to one or more fire-related charges that, in some cases, could exceed the proposed assessment amount.
The assessment is being conducted through a Proposition 218 ballot process. Ballots are weighted based on the proposed assessment amount for each property, and the assessment may be levied if at least 50% of the weighted ballots are in support.
If approved, the assessment would be placed on the Santa Cruz County property tax roll for fiscal year 2026-27 and could continue in future years.
Property owners may return ballots by mail or hand-deliver them before the close of the public input portion of the July 24 hearing. The district stated that ballots must be received by that Friday to be counted, and July 17 is the final day to request a replacement ballot by mail.
