League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Mendocino County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
	Ordinance K Brooktrails Township CSD Special Fire Tax Increase Brooktrails Township Community Services District 2/3 Approval Required Pass: 627 / 70.85% Yes votes ...... 258 / 29.15% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Ordinance K

Arguments Against Ordinance K

The Brooktrails Fire Department needs your help! The Fire Department can no longer function at the current tax rate. The Fire Department cannot continue to be dependent on the Brooktrails Community Services District's General Fund for support. The Fire Department needs to be self-sufficient and have the ability to replace unsafe and outdated equipment. This tax increase will allow your Fire Department to purchase life saving emergency medical equipment, replace outdated and unsafe fire equipment that protect your firefighters, replace a much needed water tender and rescue vehicle and provide for additional training. We will also be able to maintain and expand our comprehensive Hazard Abatement Program to include abatement in the greenbelt behind residences. Without passage of this fire tax your ISO fire insurance rating could be jeopardized, threatening the ability to obtain or afford fire insurance. This proposal was reviewed by the Revenue Enhancement Committee comprised of local residents and it was agreed that a rate increase would go a long way to help eliminate the financial shortfalls of the Fire Department. A $34 per year increase per household will allow the Fire Department and its volunteer first responders to be self-sufficient now and into the foreseeable future. Your fire tax dollars will go directly to the Fire Department and CANNOT be used by the Community Services District for other funds, project or wages. This tax will be used strictly for equipment replacement and operations of the Brooktrails Fire Department. Brooktrails Fire Department Revenue Enhancement Committee s/ Paul Trexel 3-13-14 Paul Trexel, Member Board of Directors, Brooktrails Property Owners Association s/ John E. Lemmer 3/13/14 John E. Lemmer, Secretary Brooktrails Community Alliance s/ Peter Norris 3/13/14 Peter Norris, Founding Member Brooktrails Firefighters Association s/ Robert McKenzie 3-13-14 Robert McKenzie, President Board of Directors Brooktrails Township Community Services District s/ Charles "Tony" Orth 3/13/14 Charles "Tony" Orth, BTCSD Director

No arguments against the measure were received.

Full Text of Ordinance K

BROOKTRAILS TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT ORDINANCE No. 149 AMENDING ORDINANCES 29 AND 126 (FIRE PROTECTION SPECIAL TAX INCREASE) WHEREAS, District Ordinance No. 29 adopted in 1981 established a Special Fire Tax; and WHEREAS, District Ordinance No. 29 was approved by the electors of the District at a District election on June 2, 1981; and WHEREAS, District Ordinance No. 126 adopted in 2004 increased the Special Fire Tax; and WHEREAS, District Ordinance No. 126 was approved by the electors of the District at a special District election by mail on August 31, 2004; and WHEREAS, the costs and expenses incurred by the District for the provision of fire prevention, protection and suppression services have increased substantially, and the revenue generated by the Special Fire Tax is no longer sufficient to meet the cost of providing these services; and WHEREAS, the District must find an immediate solution to provide adequate funding for its fire services in order to ensure the health, safety, and general welfare of its residents and members of the public; and WHEREAS, the Board of Directors has determined that an increase to the parcel tax across all parcel categories is required immediately; and WHEREAS, the Board of Directors elects to submit the question of an increase to the special tax for fire protection to the electorate residing within the boundaries of the District, seeking a two-thirds approval. Now, Therefore, BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of Directors of Brooktrails Township Community Services District (the "District") as follows: 1. Paragraph 3.01 of Ordinance No. 29 and Paragraph 1 of Ordinance No. 126 shall be amended to provide for the following annual parcel tax to be levied effective July 1, 2014 for the Fiscal Year 2014-15 tax bills: Single family $ 99 Duplex $150 Triplex $200 Fourplex $250 Multiplex $275 Commercial $200 Hotel-motel $300 Vacant land $ 99 2. All tax funds received shall be specifically segregated in account(s) designated only for purposes of a comprehensive fire prevention program, operations, capital improvements, and reserves. All new tax revenue shall be designated for the funding of fire department operations (exclusive of salaries) capital improvements, depreciation, fire hazard abatement programs, comprehensive fire prevention programs and reserves. 3. This Ordinance will take effect if the Ordinance is approved by a two-thirds vote of the electorate residing in Brooktrails Township Community Services District, and shall upon such approval take effect immediately, and be applied on County tax bills beginning with those issued during Fiscal Year 2014-15 cycle. 4. If any article, section, subsection, sentence, phrase, or clause of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of this Ordinance. The voters of the District hereby declare that they would have adopted the remainder of this Ordinance, including each article, section, subsection, sentence, phrase or clause, irrespective of the invalidity of any other article, section, subsection, sentence, phrase or clause. Introduced January 28, 2014 and adopted this 11th day of February, 2014 at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Brooktrails Township Community Services District by the following vote: AYES: Directors: Santos, Ramming, Orth and Williams NAYS: Directors: ABSENT: Directors: Skezas s/R. Richard Williams, President ATTEST: s/Denise Rose, Secretary