CHRIS DABIS' OPINION: CDF SRA Fire Tax

Thursday, April 3, 2008

CHRIS DABIS' OPINION: CDF SRA Fire Tax

Editor: Found this great CAL FIRE Tax opinion article at the Nevada County tax collector's website, If I lived in her county she would always have my vote!

CDF Fire Tax - It's back for the THIRD TIME !!!

Senate Bill 1617, carried by State Senator Christine Kehoe of San Diego, brings the CalFIRE tax directly to your tax bill. This bill is expected to be signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in his attempt to bring balance to the State's 2008 budget.

CHRIS DABIS' OPINION:
This attempt to levy a State parcel charge onto local (county) tax bills has been thwarted twice in the last few years. In my opinion, once the State finds a way to place fees and parcel charges onto your tax bills, they will never cease doing it. Until now, the State income tax and sales tax, and gasoline tax, etc... has been their source of revenue. They left the county taxes to be spent on county related services for county residents. Eventually, they carved out a huge chunk of money to fund the schools, leaving 14¢ out of each tax dollar for remaining services. There's just nothing left for them to steal, so now they're looking to get the money from the property owners, indirectly, through the local tax bill.

My biggest fear is that I will have no ability to help any of you, other than all of us grumble about it. You will have to direct your concerns to the State. Look at the links placed below this area: The information and contact links might help you stop this action before it becomes law.

HISTORY:
In 2004, and again in 2005, the State considered using their power as YOUR representatives, to approve a tax that would be added to your local county tax bill. This action is unpresedented, but the state maintains that they ARE your legal representatives and as such they have YOUR authority to appove the tax. Both times the proposal died. Now, with State budget deficiencies, the Governor is expected to approve this CalFIRE tax and levy it on to your 2009/10 tax bills.

DETAILS:
Still being defined. They may exempt the tax on all properties inside of city limits (incorporated cities). They may exempt the tax on all properties that have fire protection standards approved by the State Fire Board. No one has been selected to receive questions from the property owners. The county tax collector and the county auditor will not have any ability to intercede on behalf of the property owners.

MORE INFORMATION:

CalFire News about their Fire Tax - Jan. 11, 2008

CalFire News editorial: CA Budget and CALFIRE - Feb. 23, 2008

You might want to contact your legislators.

Previously, the California Farm Bureau Federation opposed the fire tax.
They have a contact link on their webpage.

CalTax usually opposes new taxes, too.

E. Christina Dabis
Treasurer & Tax Collector - Website
950 Maidu Ave., Nevada City, CA. 95959 - (530) 265-1285

Documents associated with SB 1617 in the Session:

Status

- 04/02/2008 1398 bytes

History

- 04/01/2008 1495 bytes

Bill Text

In order to view the PDF version of the bill text documents, you may need a free viewer from Adobe.

Amended

- 04/01/2008

HTML

- 18618 bytes

PDF

- 167407 bytes

Amended

- 03/24/2008

HTML

- 23606 bytes

PDF

- 269396 bytes

Introduced

- 02/22/2008

HTML

- 33620 bytes

PDF

- 255845 bytes

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

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CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Thursday, April 3, 2008