Zayante votes on fire tax

The Zayante Fire Protection District hopes to stabilize funding and increase its on-site staff through the passage of Measure O, a new parcel tax for the property owners in the mountain district.
The Nov.8 ballot item would impose a $68 tax on the 2,168 parcels in the district, replacing the current $35 parcel tax (levied in 1992). Because the vote coincides with expiration of payments on a general obligation bond purchased in 1988 for $495,000, the impact of the new tax would be reduced.
As a result, the net increase of Measure O, if it is approved by Zayante district voters,  would be $9 annually. The new fee would begin July 1, 2017.
The district currently has three full-time fire fighters working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the East Zayante Road station. The remainder of the 22-person volunteer staff have other jobs. Part of the money raised from Measure O would be used to hire another fire fighter to work on-site.
District Fire Chief John Stipes said it is critical to have the infusion of cash from Measure O to keep residents safe in case of emergency.
“We’ll float along as long as we can,” if voters were to reject the ballot measure he said.“But the money will dry up somewhere down the line and we would have to reduce staff.”
Measure O would funnel about $140,000 annually into an account to be used for staff, training, emergency vehicles and equipment, Stipes said.
The main district station has two engines, one 4-wheel-drive wild land vehicle, a water tender and ambulance. The unmanned Lompico and Upper Zayante stations each house one engine.
Stipes added that the district’s heavy equipment should continue serving the area for the next five years before it needs to be replaced.
I am very proud of what we have achieved and they have been times I will never forget.