Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Guest Commentary: The time for action in funding East County Fire service is now

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By Bryan Scott

In a 1987 speech President Ronald Reagan said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” The speech was delivered at the Brandenburg Gate of the Berlin Wall, which has now vanished into history.

Today, the people of Brentwood say to Brentwood City Manager Gus Vina, “Mr. Vina, reallocate our taxes.”

Today a public safety crisis exists, a crisis that is well known to the elected leaders and municipal administrators paid to run the cities, special districts and schools within the 249-square mile territory of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD).

President Reagan made a bold statement; he issued a clear directive to the leader of the USSR.   Even though the Berlin Wall was not in the USSR, everyone knew where policy decisions on the Berlin Wall were made.

A community-proposed solution to our local crisis includes the redistribution of 5.2% of future property taxes. Today about $165 million in property taxes are collected within the territory of the fire district, and in the most recent year property values within Brentwood and Oakley grew by over 8%.

By phasing-in this tax redistribution program over four years each government entity would receive 1.3% less in new property tax funding each year, cumulatively, while at the end of the program the ECCFPD would be funded at about the county average fire district rate, 12%.  This would be a significant improvement over the current 7%.

City Manager Vina’s procedural steps are simple.  The Brentwood City Council needs to hold a public hearing, pass a resolution, and then forward a property tax transfer agreement to Bob Campbell, Contra Costa County Controller.  It is a simple and eloquent procedure, one used by the county to transfer property taxes just a month ago.

Oakley City Manager Bryan Montgomery, County Administrator David Twa and the other special districts of east county can follow the same procedures, outlined in the California Revenue and Taxation Code, Chapter 6, Section 99.02. School districts would transfer operating funds to the fire district to fulfill their obligation to assure the safety of their students, staff and faculty, using a memorandum-of-understanding method.

Using last year’s numbers as a guide this tax redistribution this would add $7.8 million to the fire district’s funding, allowing ECCFPD to permanently staff and operate a total of six fire stations, up from today’s three stations.

City Manager Vina, as well as his Oakley counterpart, City Manager Montgomery, and County Administrator Twa have all objected to the proposal.  They’ve said there are other uses for the money, or that tight budgets make the funds unavailable.

Using last year’s numbers Brentwood’s contribution to this program would be $150,771 per year, $603,059 in total.  Brentwood’s total budget is about $46 million.  Oakley’s contribution would be $36,218 per year, $144,871 in total.  The County’s contribution would be about $300,000 per year, $1.2 million in total, counting all county agencies. The county’s total budget is $1.470 billion.

The question has been raised, which services are to be cut? The answer is none.  Government expenditures, and the services these expenditures provide, will simply grow at a slower rate for four years.  They need not be cut.

The people of Brentwood and Oakley have said “no” to additional taxes for fire and emergency medical services that are provided to the rest of the county out of current property taxes.  It is time to fund an adequate level of essential services using the current taxpayer burden.

“Mr. Vina, reallocate our taxes.”say the people of Brentwood.

Bryan Scott is a Brentwood resident and Co-Chair of East County Voters for Equal Protection, a non-partisan citizens action committee whose aim is to improve funding for the ECCFPD.  He can be reached at scott.bryan@comcast.net, or 925-418-4428.  The group’s Facebook page is  https://www.facebook.com/EastCountyVoters/.  

Closed Pittsburg fire station to reopen after three years, will also serve Bay Point

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Residents of Pittsburg and Bay Point can breathe a little easier today, after Chief Jeff Carmen of the Contra Costa Fire Protection District announced that Station 87 would be reopened. Chief Carmen made his announcement at Tuesday morning’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors, acting as the County Fire Protection District Board of Directors.

“Thanks to the partnership with the City of Pittsburg and an improved economy, ConFire can fill a gap that has existed since the station was shuttered three years ago,” said Supervisor Federal Glover, in whose district the station is located.

Station 87, located on Leland Road and John Henry Johnson Parkway in Pittsburg, is expected to

be staffed and open for service by January 1, 2017. While the station was closed, it took two stations – one in Bay Point and one in Pittsburg – to answer the calls that normally would be serviced by Station 87.

“Without Station 87, fire services took longer to reach residents and businesses on the western half of the City,” said Pittsburg Mayor Ben Johnson. “We needed it to come back, and we’re pleased the County and the Fire District are able to restore this critical service to Pittsburg.”

Station 87 opened in 2000, serving the western end of Pittsburg and portions of Bay Point until the fire district’s finances forced its closure on July 8, 2013. The station closure, one of six that were shut down, was necessary because the district had failed to secure voter approval of a parcel tax in 2012 to address its budget woes.

In the years since the station closed, the ConFire has made several cost-saving changes, including partnering with a private contractor for ambulance service and seeking new revenue to

support its operations. The economic recovery has also helped.

For its part, Pittsburg’s City Council recently approved a new Fire Services Community Facilities District, which will collect a fee from every new home built in the city to support fire services. It is a model Contra Costa County is looking at duplicating, but for now, Pittsburg is the only city in the county to use this method to support fire services. For the past decade, Pittsburg has used a similar special district to support police services in newly developed areas of the City.

“With Prop. 13 limiting our property tax, which funds fire-fighting services, we need to find other funding sources,” said Glover. “Pittsburg’s special district fees is one way of making up the gap in what is collected and the market increases in wages and equipment.”

Guest Commentary: For East County Fire District property tax reallocation works

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By Bryan Scott

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted to reallocate over $700,000 of property tax funds each year, in perpetuity, to the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) on Tuesday, October 18, 2016.  Still, the fire district continues to struggle with insufficient funding due to a property tax funding rate that was set three decades ago,when the district’s 249-square-mile territory was primarily farmland and small communities.

The Board of Supervisors used the process described in the California Revenue and Taxation Code, Chapter 6, Section 99.02 to change the fire district’s funding rate, something that has been advocated by a citizens action committee for most of this year.

East County Voters for Equal Protection (ECV) is advocating the use of this method to raise the ECCFPD funding level from about 7%, the lowest of all fire districts in the county, to just over 12%, the county average.

Since ECV began advocating for reallocation critics have claimed that the process doesn’t work, or that it takes too long.  Members of the local government establishment have gone to great lengths to criticize the reallocation process, which would increase fire district funding with no new taxes, by making false and misleading statements to the public.

Instead of supporting reallocation a group of government and fire district union employees has worked to create a way to tax the public.  This resulted in Utility User Taxes being place on the November 8 ballot in the cities of Brentwood and Oakley, but not the other parts of the fire district, the towns of Discovery Bay, Byron, Knightsen, Bethel Island or the Marsh Creek unincorporated areas.

The recently reallocated property tax funds will begin accruing to the ECCFPD with the next fiscal year, beginning on July 1, 2017.  The process works, and it works rather quickly, in government time-speak.

The ECV plan for reallocation of the property taxes would increase funding for the fire district without raising taxes.  The plan calls for all entities within ECCFPD’s jurisdiction that receive property tax funding to contribute to the community’s safety.  Special districts and non-school government entities would use the same law the Board of Supervisors just used,California Revenue and Taxation Code section 99.02, to shift a portion of the growth of property tax funding to the fire district, while school entities would contribute a “public safety infrastructure fee” of comparable amount from their operating funds.

This year property tax valuation grew by over 8% in Brentwood, Oakley and most of the unincorporated county areas.  This is what Gus Kramer, Assessor for Contra Costa County, told the Board of Supervisors in a letter dated June 30, 2016.

By phasing-in the tax reallocation program goal of 5.2% over four years each year’s transferred amount would be 1.3% of the funding growth, well below expected growth.  As an example, if the reallocation plan were in place this year each entity’s growth in property tax funding would be 6.7% instead of 8%.  This is a small price to pay to assure the safety of East County residents.

If property tax growth unexpectedly fell below 3% the program could be suspended until such time as normal growth returned.

Using this method there would be NO CUTS to current government expenditures.  Revenues would continue to grow, but at a slower rate to accommodate the gradually shifting of funds to the fire district.

Once ECCFPD’s funding level is at the county average, about 12%, the structural funding problem of the district would be solved.  Full growth would return to the tax-receiving entities of East Contra Costa.

The most important aspect of the reallocation program idea is that it is a community’s solution to a community problem.

Scott is a Brentwood resident who occasionally becomes a community affairs activist. He is Co-Chair of East County Voters for Equal Protection, a non-partisan citizens action committee whose aim is to improve funding for the ECCFPD.  His email address is  scott.bryan@comcast.net,  his telephone number is 925-418-4428.  The group’s Facebook page is located at www.facebook.com/EastCountyVoters/.

East County group seeking solutions to fire district funding endorse Hardcastle for Supervisor

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ECVEP members with Doug Hardcastle

The East County Voters for Equal Protection (ECVEP), a group of residents who are working to find ways to fund the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District without a tax increase, have endorsed Oakley Councilman Doug Hardcastle in his race for Supervisor in District 3, for his support of their efforts.

The group supports reallocation of funds that other local agencies within the district boundaries, currently receive in property tax revenue. The fire protection district includes Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Byron and Knightsen, as well as the unincorporated areas of Clayton along Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory Roads.

“This can has been kicked down the road too many times,” said Rob Broocker, the group’s leader. “Doug recognizes that it’s time the local officials sat down and worked things out.”

Sign in the window of the closed Discovery Bay fire station.

Sign in the window of the closed Discovery Bay fire station.

At a recent meeting with Hardcastle at a closed fire station, in Discovery Bay, Broocker, a Santa Clara firefighter, painting contractor and Discovery Bay resident said, “Of two Discovery Bay Fire Stations one is closed. Even with a tax increase the second one can’t be guaranteed to be open, according to County Assessor Gus Kramer. At the same Discovery Bay Town Council meeting David Piepho said it will never be open due to the lack of funding.”

The group has met with board members and spoken before their meetings, as well communicated with other community leaders like Hardcastle, to get them to consider a reallocation plan instead of a third attempt at a tax increase.

“I appreciate the support of the East County Voters and look forward to continuing to work with them to find a solution to improving fire protection, without another tax increase,” Hardcastle said. “Our number one priority is safety of our families. You have to take this personal. You have to ask yourself, what if it was my house on fire or one of my family members in an accident? We deserve quicker response times for all of us.”

Speaking of the only current ECCFP board member who is also a candidate in the District 3 Supervisor’s race, Broocker stated “Steve Barr is not ready to step up and be a Supervisor if he can’t handle the job on the fire district board.”

At a candidates’ forum in Discovery Bay, Wednesday night, Barr said, “There is a task force that’s been formed. The first step the fire board has taken is do a study to find out what is the adequate number of fire stations in this district. That study, came in with a nine-station model. I think we’re on the right track. I’m hopeful this next measure or however it comes to you will be right.”

Hardcastle disagrees.

“We’ve had enough studies,” he responded. “People do not want to raise their taxes again. They tried it twice, already. It’s ridiculous they even tried it twice. We just need to learn how to spend our money properly.”

While the ECVEP is asking all the agencies within the bounds of the fire district to pitch in, Hardcastle only supports reallocating funds from the cities of Oakley and Brentwood, and the County, like was done with one-time money to re-open the fire station in Knightsen.

“I feel the only ones that have the ability to approve reallocation of money are our councils and the county,” he stated. “We just did it by funding the Knightsen fire station to get them open for 2017.”

That process was explained by another member of the group.

“When the self-appointed Task Force made their initial report to the fire board on October 21, 2015, they recommended emergency funding to open one fire station for a limited period of time,” stated Bryan Scott, a member of ECVEP. “They sought and obtained one-time funding from the cities of Brentwood and Oakley as well as the county.”

“The Task Force allocated the contributions from the cities and the county based on call volume to their respective areas,” he continued. “This came out to 49% for the city of Brentwood, 28% for the city of Oakley, and 23% for the county.”

“Using these same allocation percentages to increase fire district funding by $7.8 million would mean Brentwood would contribute $3,822,000, Oakley would contribute $2,184,000, and the county $1,794,000,” Scott explained.

Brentwood will pay a larger portion for two reasons. First, because they have a larger population than Oakley. Second, they receive a greater percentage of property tax, 16% than Oakley does at just 7%. Plus, they used part of funds set aside for fire protection on their police force, instead.

“We need the cities and county to pitch in to make this happen and in a fair way,” Hardcastle added. “It’s time to get this done.”

District 3 includes all of Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Byron, Knightsen and most of Antioch in East County, as well as Blackhawk, Diablo and Camino Tassajara in the San Ramon Valley. The election is June 7. For more information about Doug Hardcastle, visit www.doughardcastle.com or call the Campaign Headquarters at (925) 755-5053.

Enholm joins citizens’ group effort to fund East County fire district

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Greg Enholm

Greg Enholm

The East County Voters for Equal Protect (ECV) is pleased to announce that Greg Enholm, Trustee on the Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD), has joined the citizens action committee to help improve funding for the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD).

Enholm is Vice President of the CCCCD Governing Board, and has served the district since 2012. His community involvement includes representing non-Concord residents on the Concord Naval Weapons Station reuse planning committee, and serving on the Ambrose Recreation and Park District Board.

“I’ll be happy to do this,” Enholm said when reviewing the ECV goals and plans with Co-Chairs Hal Bray and Bryan Scott.  “We must solve this problem.

“I have adequate fire protection, I’m served by ConFire” continued Enholm, a Bay Point resident.  “Why don’t you?  We need to start the process to solve this problem.”

Enholm brings a diverse background to the ECV effort to improve ECCFPD funding.  He has worked as a financial economist for the Wisconsin utility regulatory commission, a securities analyst at Merrill Lynch Mortgage Capital, Inc., and was a vice president at Salomon Brothers.

He subsequently established his own financial advisory firm and published two books on utility financial and regulatory issues.  Enholm has been a high school math teacher in both public and private schools, and has taught math at Heald College.  He is now a professor at DeVry University where he teaches economics, finance, mathematics and statistics.  Enholm earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Florida.

“Greg will provide invaluable insight into the operations of public agencies,” said Scott.  “He communicates with zeal, and has a passion improving the world around him.  We welcome his contribution to obtaining fire and emergency medical services for the residents of East Contra Costa.”

East County Voters for Equal Protection is a non-partisan grass roots citizens action committee formed to address the unequal funding of fire and emergency medical services existing in 249 square miles of Eastern Contra Costa County.  About 110,000 residents, as well as those who work and play in Eastern Contra Costa, have services funded at a level one-fourth to one-third of those levels in other parts of Contra Costa County.  For more information contact committee Co-Chairs Hal Bray at hal.bray@pacbell.net or Bryan Scott scott.bryan@comcast.net.   Follow them on their Facebook page.

Guest Commentary: East Contra Costa Fire Protection District needs a new approach to funding, not another tax increase attempt

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Brentwood gets higher percentage of property tax than other cities, some should go to fire district

By Hal Bray

In 1978 Proposition 13 became the law.  The legislature was given the task of reallocating property taxes according to its guidelines.  As usual they made a mess of it.

Oh, the original allocation may have been alright, but the state legislature put nothing in the legislation to reallocate taxes over timebased on population shifts, growth or some other equitable measure.So those entities receiving less were, and have stayed, underfunded since 1978. Hence, our issue today for the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District.

In 1978 fire fighting in East County was made up of voluntary fire districts; therefore firefighting and emergency medical services in the area received only 7.5% of our 1% ad valorem property tax. Other, established fire districts within the countyreceived, on average 12%, some much more. If East County would have received the county average or San Ramon’s allocation of 21% or even ConFire’s 14%, or if periodic adjustments had been made, the district’s budget today would be approximately double what it is today and we would not be having this severe crisis.

Where does the funding that ECCFPD did not get in 1978 go?  It went to the City of Brentwood, the County, the school districts and special districts within the ECCFPD boundaries.  It is time to right this historical wrong, redirecting some of our current property taxes from these entities to ECCFPD to provide for the services necessary to save lives and protect property.

We, East County Voters for Equal Protection (ECV) , want the other public entities within the ECCFPD boundaries to adjust their allocations by approximately 5% (which in many cases is only about 1-2% of their total revenue)to provide adequate funding for the ECCFPD.  This would not cut any of their current programs, but would reduce their growth rate. They can keep the bonus allocations they have received since 1978, but going forward the funding is desperately needed to protect the lives and homes, schools and infrastructure of East County.

This reallocation would provide the $7.8 million that ECCFPD needs to open and operate three more stations bringing the total number of stations to six.  We, ECV, would then support a tax measure on the ballot to fund beyond six stations, if necessary; but government must do their part first.

What must the community do to get the funding for ECCFPD?

The process to reallocate property taxes is clear; we know the process and the law. It is difficult, at best, and requires the co-operation of local elected officials and the concurrence by the areas residents.  We recommend starting today and, in the short term, achieve this funding with a local MOU or Joint powers Agreement (JPA).

However, since our elected and appointed officials in East County are reluctant to solve this crisis, we, the residents of East County, must create the political will for these officialsto look beyond their own parochial interests and think of the common good.

This issue is, fundamentally, about fair and equitable solutions. Fire Services are funded by property taxes. Local government and school districts are among the largest land owners in East County.  They are also large consumers of fire district services.  However, they pay no property taxes and, therefore, do not pay their share of the costs of the services.  We believe it is their responsibility to step up and share the cost of correcting this injustice.

Assemblyman Jim Frazier and State Senator Steve Glazer have said publically that they will carry any necessary legislation to Sacramento to complete the transaction, once a local agreement is reached.

Our local elected and appointed officials hold the keys to unlock the solution to our crises.Most will tell you the process is long and difficult, but will not tell you that they are the obstacle.  This issue is one, long, self-fulfilling prophecy that starts with them.

This is why we have begun meeting with local elected and appointed officials and   community groups.  We must build the political will, break the cycle of self-interest,in our officials or, in this an election year, vote out of office any official who will not support this effort.

We need you, the community residents of East County to contact your city council, school board, irrigation and/or water district and other special districts to make this happen.

Hal Bray is a Brentwood resident and is co-chair of East County Voters for Equal Protection, a non-partisan citizen’s action committee, whose goal is to improve funding for the ECCFPD. For more information, email hal.bray@pacbell.net or like the group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EastCountyVoters.