Inside Bay Area - LAFCO: Fire districts OK to merge

Inside Bay Area - LAFCO: Fire districts OK to merge:

LAFCO: Fire districts OK to merge
Half Moon Bay, Point Montara already functioning as one

By Julia Scott, STAFF WRITER
Article Launched: 04/26/2007 02:43:03 AM PDT

HALF MOON BAY — The Coastside's two fire districts will become one this summer, the Local Agency Formation Commission decided in a meeting on Wednesday night.

The consolidation of the Half Moon Bay and Point Montara Fire Protection districts — and all their assets, equipment, and property taxes — has been a long time coming. The two fire districts, which serve a population of

25,000 collectively from Half Moon Bay to Montara, have already been operating as a de facto single entity since 1998, when Point Montara's fire house in Moss Beach began contracting with Half Moon Bay for its fire services.

Both agencies formally applied to become a consolidated district last October. As of July 1, unless there is a substantial public protest, the two fire departments will become known as the Coastside Fire Protection District.

The move was heralded by some as a step toward greater efficiency and clarity of purpose for the two districts, which have existed side-by-side for more than 50 years. Others decried it as a move to con Half Moon Bay taxpayers into carrying Point Montara's expenses on its ledger as both fire districts move toward finalizing a contract with CalFire, formerly known as CDF.

Point Montara board member Ginny McShane said the consolidation was inevitable.

"We're very isolated out here, so we need to hook up with our neighbors," said McShane. "A small district cannot exist in today's world. We'd go the way of the dinosaur eventually. Or we'd have to raise taxes."

Under the terms of the agreement, which was adopted by a unanimous motion at the meeting in Half Moon Bay's main fire station Wednesday night, the buildings, equipment, land, and property taxes that go toward each district would flow into the consolidated district instead, creating an estimated revenue flow of $8.9 million.

Consolidation is expected to save the district — and taxpayers — an additional $50,000 in administrative costs when implemented, according to Martha Poyatos, executive officer of LAFCO. The two boards of directors, numbering eight members in total, would eventually be whittled down to one board of five members through term limits and at-large elections beginning in 2009.

Both districts will continue to collect and spend the fire assessment money residents pay within each zone, since there is such a large discrepancy between the two amounts. Point Montara Fire Protection District residents pay an annual assessment of $160. Half Moon Bay, with many more residents, asks $35 per parcel a year.

The Point Montara fire district currently pays $1,428,000 to Half Moon Bay for fire services.

Link to whole story at Inside Bay Area