Fire Prevention: The Fee

      CALFIRE, the state agency that provides statewide fire protection, petitioned the legislature to provide additional funding for fire prevention activities.  The Legislature, in its infinite wisdom, decided that adding an additional tax would not look so good, especially to those already paying high income taxes.   The result: a new "fee" for all real estate owners who benefit from the CalFire services.  Who might they be?
      According to the criteria of CalFire, if a property is located in an unincorporated area(non-city), it could, at some time, require the services of CalFire.  The agency then came up with a figure for each parcel that would pay for "prevention services".   Prevention services are those that include maintenance of firefighting resources, forest clearing and reforestation, access roads, seasonal manning levels, creating urban interface protective zones to thwart the spread of wildfires.
     This fee is assessed on only a small percentage of state property owners, about 830,000 properties statewide.   Most of these, as you might expect, are located in rural areas, far from the urban centers.  The owners are often those elderly who have stayed on the land where they were born and raised.  Others are part of the state's agricultural production segment: those farmers and ranchers who work the land.   Many of these property owners already pay parcel taxes to fund various local programs(upgrades of old fire hydrants and water tanks, schools, parks,etc).  This fee, in the amount of $150, is one more attempt of the state to impose a tax by calling it a FEE!  It is being challenged by legal action for what it is: A TAX!
        It is expected to raise $82,500,000. annually to fund FIRE PREVENTION activities as described.  Will this afford better service? Or more units?  Or more firefighters? No, it is for prevention services only to be distributed by CalFire as it sees fit.
       Will you have to pay if your property is located in a fire district that already receives local funding?  Yes, you will be billed and the State Board Of Equalization is the collector of the fee.  If you don't promptly pay, a lien will be placed on the property which creates an issue if a loan exists, a sale is imminent or proposed, and fines will be added for delay in payment.
   The long reach of the STATE.
    A Protest is in order as the state imposes this fee when unemployment remains above 10%, the country continues to stagnate, and California already imposes high income taxes.
Stay tuned.