Elkhorn Fire Protection District Parcel Tax, Measure W (March 2015)

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Measure info Amount: $2.5/acre Expires: Never

An Elkhorn Fire Protection District parcel tax measure was on the ballot for Elkhorn fire district voters in Yolo County, California, on March 3, 2015. It was approved.

Measure W authorized the district to levy a parcel tax of $2.50 per year for each acre within the district.

A two-thirds (66.67%) vote was required for the approval of Measure W.

Election results

Elkhorn Fire District, Measure W
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		27	81.8%
No		6	18.2%

Election results from Yolo County Elections Office

Text of measure

Ballot question

The question on the ballot:

“

Shall the Elkhorn Fire Protection District tax each acre within the District two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50), annually beginning fiscal year July 2015 and each year thereafter, with such revenues, together with any and all other revenues to be collected, retained and spent by the District to provide proper fire protection, emergency response and safety for the residents, property owners and businesses of the District including maintaining current staffing levels, maintaining fire protection and EMS vehicles and equipment, maintain stations, real property, facilities or equipment as necessary to ensure the safety of the community. Further, shall the District be authorized to implement annual inflation increases in the assessment rate based upon and limited by the increase in the Consumer Price Index over the prior year for the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area, all urban consumers?

”

Impartial analysis

The following impartial analysis of Measure W was prepared by the office of the county counsel:

“	This Measure, if approved by the voters, would authorize the Elkhorn Fire Protection District (the District) to levy a special tax, together with an annual inflation increase based upon the Consumer Price Index (CPI), to pay for the purchase and maintenance of vehicles and equipment for the District, District Insurance, fuel for the District, and compliance with employee and safety regulations in furtherance of the District’s efforts of fire prevention, suppression and emergency response. The amount of the special parcel tax shall be at a rate of two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) per acre for assessed acreage within the District, which taxes shall be collected by the Yolo County Tax Collector to be included upon the annual property tax bills to landowners. It also authorizes the Board of Directors for the District to implement annual increases in the assessment rate based on the increase in the CPI over the prior year for the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area, all urban consumers. Because Measure W proposes a special tax, it will be approved only if it receives a “Yes” vote from two-thirds (or more) of the qualified electors voting on the Measure. If two-thirds of the qualified electors voting on the Measure do not vote for approval, the Measure will fail and the special tax will not be levied. The electors who will be entitled to vote on the Measure will be all qualified electors residing within the boundaries of the District. This proposed special tax has no effect on existing law. This analysis of the special tax proposed by the Elkhorn Fire Protection District is prepared and submitted in accordance with Elections Code Section 9160. The election for this Measure is being held pursuant to approval given by the Board of Supervisors on December 2, 2014.	”
—Yolo County Counsel

Support

The following was submitted as the official argument in favor of Measure W:

“

The FIRE DISTRICT has an annual budget of about $60,000 in expenses, but it receives only approximately $21,000.00 of its operating budget income from property taxes. There has never been an increase in the rate of taxes since the District’s formation in the late 1960’s. Since then there have been significant increases in insurance costs, fuel costs, equipment purchases and maintenance expenses, and safety equipment costs. The District has been relying on donations to cover the difference between its annual expenses of $60,000 and its limited revenue of $21,000. It is no longer feasible to rely on donations. The Elkhorn Fire Protection District’s Board has determined that it is necessary to impose a very modest tax on all of the landowners within the District to produce enough revenue to meet the district’s expenses. The proposed parcel tax upon landowners in the District would be at the rate of Two and 50/100 Dollars ($2.50) per acre for assessed acreage within the District. This tax would be collected by the Yolo County Tax Collector to be included upon the annual property tax bills to landowners, starting in fiscal year July, 2015. Further, the District’s Board would be authorized to adopt an annual inflation increase of the property tax based upon and limited by the increase in the Consumer Price Index over the prior year for the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area, all urban consumers. The Elkhorn Fire Protection District has provided effective, low cost public safety services to the residents, property owners and businesses within the district for over 40 years, while depending on volunteer firefighters. The modest tax being proposed will ensure the continued viability of this district at a low cost, high benefit for everyone within the district.

”

Opposition

No official argument in opposition to Measure W was submitted. If you have an argument you would like to see posted here, please email the Local Ballot Measures Project staff writer.

See also

• Parcel tax
• California parcel tax on the ballot
• Parcel tax elections in California
• Yolo County, California ballot measures
• March 3, 2015 ballot measures in California

External links

Suggest a link

• Yolo County Elections Office website