REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 19, 2020
FROM
DAN MUNSEY, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
GARY McBRIDE, Chief Executive Officer, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
SUBJECT
Title
FP-5 Funding Impacts
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the Governing Body of the San Bernardino Fire Protection District, receive presentation on San Bernardino County Fire Protection District FP-5 Funding Impacts.
(Presenter: Dan Munsey, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, 387-5779)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item is for presentation, and will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) at this time.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District resulted from a reorganization approved on June 20, 2008 by Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) 3000. The action also included the reorganization of County Service Area Improvement Zone FP-5 into San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Service Zone FP-5 (Zone FP-5), which is substantially funded by a special tax approved by the voters in the original formation of Zone FP-5. Since that time, LAFCO has approved the annexation of the cities of San Bernardino, Needles, and Twentynine Palms into Zone FP-5, which included the obligation to pay the special tax in the annual amount of $157.26 per parcel (with a maximum 3% annual cost of living increase). That special tax continues to be the primary funding mechanism for Zone FP-5.
After providing public notice, on October 16, 2018 (Item No. 58), the Board of Directors (Board) adopted a resolution that expanded the boundaries of Zone FP-5 to include Upland and San Antonio Heights, and the remaining portions of the Fire District which until that action were not within Zone FP-5, effective for the 2019-20 Tax Roll. In adopting the resolution, the Board determined that expansion of the boundaries of Zone FP-5 will provide additional necessary revenues estimated at $26.9 million with which to maintain current fire protection and emergency response services.
On June 11, 2019 (Item No. 96) the Board adopted amended Resolution No. 2019-75 for Zone FP-5 that set the amount of the existing special tax for 2019-20 at $157.26 per parcel and directed that the special tax for FP-5 be placed on the 2019-20 tax roll. The Board further directed the Chief Executive Officer and the interim Fire Chief to explore funding mechanisms to pay for fire and emergency services in San Bernardino County to be put to voters by January 1, 2021, and to return to the Board within 90 days to discuss those funding alternatives. The Board also directed staff to set a date on which funding for FP-5 will sunset.
On August 16, 2019, pursuant to District Elections law of Elections Code section 9300 et seq., a citizens group submitted a Notice of Intention to circulate “Initiative to Repeal the Special Tax Associated with Fire Protection Service Zone Five” to the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters (ROV) that would repeal the special tax in the entire Zone FP-5.
On September 24, 2019 (Item No. 60), the Board received a presentation from the Chief Executive Officer and Interim Fire Chief regarding funding alternatives. Following the presentation, the Board directed the Chief Executive Officer and the Interim Fire Chief to focus only on the October 2018 FP-5 expansion area and the unincorporated area of San Antonio Heights for future discussions. The Board further directed staff to return to the Board with updated budgetary and operational impacts based on this area.
After collection of signatures, the Initiative Petition/Measure was filed with the ROV on February 11, 2020 and on March 25, 2020, the County Registrar of Voters certified the initiative petition after verifying that a sufficient number of signatures had been collected to qualify the initiative for adoption by the Board or for placement on an election ballot for consideration of the voters of SBCFPD. On April 7, 2020 (Item No. 62) the Board chose to submit the initiative petition to the voters in the upcoming November 2020 General Election. Staff believes that the ballot measure to repeal the FP-5 Special Tax satisfies the Board’s desire to place the issue of the special tax as a funding mechanism to the public for a vote. With respect to the issue of a sunset date for FP-5, if the initiative is adopted by the voters, the FP-5 tax will sunset as of the effective date of the measure. If the initiative fails, Staff will return to the Board for direction.
The presentation is provided to describe the impacts the repeal of the entire Zone FP-5 special tax would have on the SBCFPD and the citizens.
PROCUREMENT
Enter procurement information here.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Michelle Blakemore, County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 15, 2020; Finance (Tom Forster, Finance Analyst) on May 15, 2020; and County Finance and Administration (Katrina Turturro, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-3076) on May 15, 2020.