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To: Mendocino County Board of Supervisors March 18, 2021 Attn: Dan Gjerde-Chair
Subject: County funding of local Fire Districts:
Dear Chairman Gjerde:
The intent of this letter is to address the continued and escalating difficulties facing Mendocino County Fire Districts and the breakdown in communication between the Fire Districts and the County of Mendocino. Fire Districts continue to be impacted and disadvantaged by the lack of representation at the County level and with the Board of Supervisors. This lack of representation is most clearly demonstrated during the annual budget deliberations. Fire Districts have no dependable advocate within County government to ensure that County Public Safety Policy includes addressing the increasing needs of all Public Safety First Responders. Increasing demands for Emergency Medical Services, Ambulance and Fire Emergency Response due to Climate Change must be recognized by the Board of Supervisors and address the County’s financial responsibility for these separately defined services. Mendocino County must publicly acknowledge that it is the County Local Fire Districts that deliver these critical Public Safety functions.
Regards the current FY 2021-22 budget deliberations, concerns among Fire District Boards of Directors are focused on the County’s lack of communication as to the status of funding sources currently dedicated for Fire/EMS funding. These sources include;
Prop 172: Current receipts for 19/20 is $ 8,067,252.00. Current allocation for 20/21 to Fire is $398,000.00. The increase to $485,000.00 for FY 18/19 was sponsored by Supervisor McCowen ( $87,000.00, added to compensate for the allocation provided to Ukiah Valley ) came from the general fund and was characterized as a yearly discretionary funding increase. This increase was rescinded the next fiscal year ( FY 19/20 ) with no notice or explanation given to the Fire Districts. All supervisors at that time voted for this decrease.
During the early days of the Prop 172 Fire ad hoc ( created by the BoS in November of 2015 ) with Supervisors Hamburg and Gjerde, there was ongoing discussion regarding any increase ( float ) above the then current $7,500,000.00 income could be allocated for Fire/EMS. This would have been a reasonable accommodation for the needs of Fire/EMS that would have the lowest impact on the other public safety providers ( DA & SO, primarily ) and satisfied the original intent promoted by Prop 172 sponsors and approved by the voters in 1993.
Measure D ( TOT ): Current allocation available is $600,000.00. Per the BoS meeting on March 9th, 2021, it is understood that these funds are now ready to distribute to the qualifying Fire Districts.
Measure AI and Measure AJ: Cannabis tax/fees: Program receipts from Measure AI for FY19/20 was $5,500,000.00. Accompanying Measure AJ, also passed by the voters, directs ( advises ) the BoS to allocate the majority of revenue generated by the Measure AI business tax to fund enforcement of current marijuana laws, Mental Health Services, county road repair and Fire and Emergency Services. Fire/EMS was to receive 1/8th of the collected revenue per this measure. The allocation to Fire/EMS based on the FY 19/20 receipts would have provided a benefit of $687,500.00. Unfortunately, it is currently understood that this revenue distribution, approved by the voters, is being used to “true-up” budget units that have gone over their budgeted amounts for their fiscal year. This is not what the voters approved.
During the BoS meeting on March 9th, 2021, the Supervisors reviewed budget overruns with the “other” public safety providers ( DA, SO and Probation, for example ). Instead of asking why these departments ran over budget, department heads were instead advised to just provide more realistic budgets next time so that the board can just allocate more funding to them. Simple. When Fire Districts request to be included in these revenues, they are told to provide an itemized rationale of why these Districts should receive any funding. This is unacceptable.
Currently, there is no direction in place to provide any distribution of Measure AI funds to Fire/EMS as advised by the voters. Transparency in these revenues and their allocation is problematic. This situation confirms that Fire/EMS ( as well as the other designated funding recipients ) is still being locked out of the budget process due to non-existent representation. The cannabis tax revenue must be used as approved by the voters. On April 20th, 2021, the BoS will dedicate the majority of that meeting to cannabis related issues. This would be a good opportunity to include discussions about Measure AI, Measure AJ and the how the BoS will respond moving forward regarding the allocation of these funds.
P.G. & E. Settlement fund: During the March 9th BoS meeting, a special session for potential EMS funding from the P.G. & E Settlement Fund was scheduled for the BoS meeting on April 6th, 2021. The Supervisors suggested that Coastal Valleys EMS, the Sheriff’s Office and the Fire Safe Council be invited to participate in the discussion. Not invited to attend are representatives from the County Fire Chief’s Association or the Mendocino County Association of Fire Districts, the agencies and people that actually deliver Emergency Medical Services in Mendocino County.
Mendocino County currently does not have a dependable and robust Ambulance capability. Frequent service brown outs due to out of county transfers and lack of adequately staffed ambulance crews pose a significant risk to the county population and transient visitors. The BoS must act immediately to correct this situation. Allocation from the Settlement Fund would be a reasonable short-term application of this available funding pending a long-term resolution to this critical issue.
In summary, it is understood that the unprecedented challenges faced by the County due to the Covid-19 emergency has complicated the County’s ability to address Public Safety Funding. However, as the impacts of the pandemic are now being mitigated, it is now time to resolve the issue of representation, equity and funding for Fire/EMS and to ensure local Fire Districts are compensated fairly for these services.
We will look forward to the Board of Supervisors response,
Respectfully,
Andres Avila-AVCSD
Ben MacMillan-Elk CSD
Tony Orth-BTCSD
David Roderick-HFPD
Michael Schaeffer-Comptche CSD
Steering Committee-Mendocino County Association of Fire Districts
