Volunteer Firefighter Encourages Southern Humboldt Residents to Vote Yes on Measure U
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I’m writing in support of Measure U.
I’m a volunteer firefighter on a different department, so I have experienced having my plans for the day completely changed or being woken up at 2:00 in the morning because someone else is having an emergency.
Almost all if not all of the volunteer fire departments in southern Humboldt do not have the funds to have all the equipment they should have, instead they make do. If properly funded they will have up to date equipment and then will be able to be more effective in their response to whatever emergency they are responding to.
I recently learned that suicides have passed up line of duty deaths for firefighters. I’ve personally seen things that people who do not work in EMS Services rarely see. Members of Garberville Volunteer Fire have been responding to and supporting an area that is 70% outside their district, and they are asking for a very minor contribution. I cannot imagine how discouraging it would feel if they do not receive back in the form of a small parcel tax the support they have been giving those in the proposed expanded district for years.
Please show your support for Garberville Volunteer Fire Department and our community as a whole by voting yes on Measure U.
Sincerely, Teamo Tenorio-Gregori
I’m writing in support of Measure U.
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Where’s all the money that those oh so generous growers gave the local fire departments and schools etcetera. Oh wait it was all a myth.
We have had generous support from the entire Southern Humboldt community it makes me proud to live here. This is what small town living is about the entire community rallying together for the common good as the mail in ballots have started to arrive Please vote YES on measure U and support the Garberville Fire Protection District!
Question; will the public agencies and 501c3 tax exempt organizations, that are exempt from paying property tax, i.e. Southern Humboldt Community Park, Garberville Sanitary District and Hospital District, be exempt from this new measure U property tax too?
District’s ie the hospital, the schools and the sanitary district are tax exempt so measure U will not apply to them I’m not sure what the tax status of the park is so I can’t comment on that. But as far as I know if the organization is tax exempt then measure U will not apply.
Thank you. So if you take the Hospital District for example, it’s the largest single employer (wages, benefits and compensation) within the current and expanded GFPD boundary, which includes 133 employees, $6,967,790 in annual payroll and $1,114,485 in benefits in 2021, without paying into Measure U?
https://publicpay.ca.gov/Reports/SpecialDistricts/SpecialDistrict.aspx?entityid=1533&year=2021
And, given the future development proposed by the SoHum Healthcare District, i.e. New 28,100 sf 2-story Hospital with a kitchen and a separate 2-story 10,200 sf medical office building, new short term workforce housing complex, new long term workforce apartment complex and converting the old hospital building into a Skilled nursing facility.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18E6qkaUJkDCorZwAV6LzOsXrQMTI-wru/view?usp=share_link
Does it seem fair, that the Hospital District is not supporting its community Fire Protection District by not paying into Measure U?
I believe all tax Districts are tax exempt so you don’t have to raise a tax to pay taxes. At least that’s how it was explained to me. The true bottom line here is the district can’t expand without this parcel tax, so around 1400 parcels will continue to be out of a district with the Fire district providing unreimbursed good Will protection to them and their chances of obtaining affordable insurance remains questionable as does the chance of buying, selling or financing a home. Also I see you failed to mention that the county will actually give back more funds than this small parcel tax generates from the general fund. They will give the district approximately $200,000.00 or 3/4 of 1% of the property tax you already pay to the district. The bottom line here Ed is the district as it is today can no longer function on the small base it has measure U will be the fairest solution to allow the most people to be part of the Garberville Fire Protection District. I urge everyone to do the fair thing and vote YES on Measure U.
Thank you, the first sentence made no sense to me and you did not answer my question? But it does generation two more questions; why does GFPD feel it needs to expand its district boundary by 36,000 acres and can you please provide any of your sources concerning your statement:
“…their chances of obtaining affordable insurance remains questionable as does the chance of buying, selling or financing a home.”
When I sold our home in 2015 on Rivercrest Drive in Garberville, since my Mom and Dad purchased it new in 1966, I had it insured thru AAA, no big deal or not more of an expense from the threat of fire and in selling it, being outside the current GFPD, it sold before it was listed, the issue never came up. So I don’t understand where the fear-mongering is coming from?
Ed, in recent years insurance companies have increased their rates here locally as well as having dropped many residents due to fire danger. A friend had to drop her insurance after it was raised from $3K a year to $12K! My own insurance in Garberville went from $1500 to over $6K in recent years. Lots has changed.
Additionally, the GFPD is already serving those outside the district. They are one of the first crews on site to the various structure and wildfire events in our area. Expanding the boundary to include the areas they’re already serving means that they’ll receive the much need funding for the service they’re already providing.
I’m sure many are grateful that they don’t stop at the boundary line and watch as wildfire spread.
“My own insurance in Garberville went from $1500 to over $6K in recent years. Lots has changed.”
If that is the case and your insurance when up that much and your inside the current GFPD now, how will this new expanded district boundary decrease anyones wildfire and home/property insurance?
You do know Garberville is listed by the state as an Severely Disadvantaged Community, which means, a community with an annual median household income that is less than 60% of the Statewide annual median household income, or $43,737, right?
If that much has changed since 2015, I’m glad to have sold the house and not retired in Garberville!
We’ll Ed I guess I’m trying to enlighten someone one who wants this area to fail as you have already moved away the argument that it is the fair thing to do for the community we love is lost on you. I guess the question I have for you is why is this your concern?
Its the river Shawn and thanks for asking. And I guess no one has a say over that, unless you live there right? No one can try to protect the health and quality of the South Fork Eel River, unless you live there, is that right? And thanks for putting words in my mouth, its why I posted that poster on Ernies post. You can take the boy out of the river, but you cannot take the river out of the boy…
Ed, I value your opinion, you know that. However, my advice would be for you to worry about the millions and millions of tax dollars the county has collected from the unincorporated areas. Taxed for the intent of fire protection, instead they have used it for whatever they want.
We stand a chance of getting 75% of the back of the money that they collect in the expanded district in future years. $200,000.00 per year!
The county insists that the taxpayer add to that $150.000.00.
That will give us viable fire protection.
Believe me, it’s worth it.
I don’t know Ernie…
Ed, sometimes I feel like you are trying to do most of those items to control our agreeably disadvantaged community. We don’t need to be driven back any more.
Farmers doubled my insurance three years in a row. I was fortunate to get some reasonable insurance. But it is shakily dependent on good fire protection. Those of us that live in an, arbitrarily labeled, “Brush Zone” are fearful of losing insurance completely.
If you are going to argue against us, please understand the issues. I know that you can do it. you are the best researcher that I know.
Things are not as they seem Ernie, no one wants to answer my direct question or provide source materials to justify their exaggerated rumors of impending danger if they don’t get what they want. Maybe they should start treating the river as a living part and life blood of the community, instead of just a place to pump water from! Someone should always be able to ask the uncomfortable and unpopular questions, without being told, shut up, you don’t live here!
If what you say is true Ernie, where is the proof of it? Why didn’t anyone challenge the county and demand that money be used for fire protection?
If that is true Ernie, then why wasn’t it included in the argument for creating this new fire protection area with Humboldt LAFCo? Because the following staff reports from Humboldt LAFCo fail to mention it in these staff reports as a reason for this new and expanded fire protection district:
https://humboldtlafco.org/wp-content/uploads/7B_Garberville-FPD-Annexation-Call-for-Election-for-Special-Tax.pdf
https://humboldtlafco.org/wp-content/uploads/7B_Garberville-FPD-Annexation.pdf
One of my big questions; where is GFPD going to obtain and store water for this new 36,000 acre increase of protection area, compared to the 700 acres they have now?
What is true is that the idea of a 10% reduction of your insurance premium is NOT true
I’m not sure who I’m addressing here but no one involved with measure U has ever made a claim such as the one you have made. Please site your source.
What is true, is insurance companies are becoming more and more reluctant to insure us at all, due to the fact we are unable to provide adequate fire protection to our rural area.
Property values are becoming next to worthless if they are not saleable.
Thank You for your support and dedication Teamo!
Back on Oct 17th, 2022, I emailed the following to the Garberville Sanitary District:
“When was GSD going to publicly discuss the formation of the proposed new Garberville Fire Protection District Annexation; which will be expanding its services (water) well beyond the GSD Jurisdictional Boundary, SOI and Water Rights Place of Use? It should be anticipated and predictable, this new Garberville Fire Protection District Annexation will need additional water from GSD. How will GSD account for this water being used outside its current Place of Use? What plans have GSD taken to include this future and foreseeable additional amount of water into its current water diversion and or Water Source Capacity from the South Fork Eel River?”
Needless to say, never heard a peep back from GSD, nor was my question discussed at GSD during a public board meeting. So let me ask you Shawn, how will GFPD account for the amount of water GFPD is taking out of the GSD service area and water rights place of use?
Ask GSD how important it is to not allow water to be taken outside their water rights place of use. Last time GSD got caught (2020) they got fined $40,000 plus attorney fees. It applies to everyone, including fire departments!