East County fire agency to start charging for some services
The financially strapped
The ECCFPD Board last week approved the fees on an 8-1 vote, with
Fire Chief
Charges, which are billed to the patient's insurance, range from
Fees will not be charged for residential, commercial or vegetation fires, he said.
The fire chief estimates about 10 to 15 percent of the district's 8,000 yearly calls will fall into the new fee category, bringing the agency about
"The root issue is we are an underfunded fire agency," Helmick said, noting that the district receives far less in property tax allocations than other districts in the area. "It's not paying again (for services) because the property tax revenues are not adequate. If they were, we would not be going for this."
The board adopted a similar fee plan in 2016 -- the first of its kind in the district's history -- for medical aid services for urgent health complaints such as chest pains or dangerously low blood sugar levels, which raised some
"I was always against it up until a year or so ago," he said. "We had no staff to do it -- and I was not wanting to spend any more on staff."
But, Whitlock said, the proposed fees were one of the few resources the district found in "turning over every stone" for revenue as voters had suggested.
"It is a damned it you do and damned if you don't," he said. "People insisted we look at everything that is out there. Will all this be in effect in two or three years? Only the test of time will tell."
Helmick cautioned residents to look beyond the individual fees to the larger issue of the cash-strapped fire agency whose staffing levels and response times are far below the national standard.
"This decision is part of a much larger and complex problem," he said.
The district's financial woes date back decades when the area's population was much smaller and volunteer firefighters provided service. In 1978, Proposition 13 cemented the property-tax allocation for the fire district at 8 percent -- far less than the average 12 percent elsewhere, leaving the fire agency with less money than other area agencies.
Over the years, the district has tried to remedy the shortfall with such measures a parcel tax, benefit assessment and utility-user tax, all of which failed at the ballot box.
"Folks have been recommending that we live within our means and explore additional means of generating revenue," Helmick said. "This is us kicking over a rock and giving us every revenue we can. ... We are doing everything we can do legally."
The newly approved cost recovery fees are possible under a section of the
"Cost recovery for fire districts is not unique to us. Up and down the state and across the
Board member Young, however, said he voted against it because residents already pay taxes to cover such services.
"We support the the fire district through our property tax system and I think it is inappropriate to be singling out a user of an emergency service for payment of these fees," he said. "The services we are billing for are services that we already are charging for with taxes. In my mind, it's billing twice for the same service."
Young also noted that considering the administrative burden on the already overworked staff that the cost recovery fees will create, the return will be relatively small.
"We already have a medical fee that didn't produce much revenue -- in fact far less than what we had projected," he said. "... I think the fire district is providing the best service that can be provided with the money the public is willing to pay."
Young also noted that the small amount of revenue from the new extra fees is not worth angering future voters considering proposed fire district revenue-generating measures.
"You might be sending a bill to your strongest supporters," he said. "It's better to fully fund the fire district for the services you need rather than nickel and dime your customers. That discourages them. I don't think it's the way to go."
To view the fee schedule, visit https://bit.ly/2NCqOal.
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