Letter: Supervisor unhappy with fire bill

I got my fire fee bill in the mail and am not happy about it. In fact, I think it stinks and rightfully should be over-turned by the Howard Jarvis lawsuit.

Yes, I believe it is a tax and not a fee, and thus is illegal.

Yuba County supervisors have been in the frontline battling the state's efforts — for the past four years — to push through this ill-conceived and indiscriminate fee to try to help make up for the state's poor money management.

I believe the fee is just another gimmick, without justification, to boost the state's ailing finances. So now that Proposition 30 passed and lots more money will be going to the state, the Legislature should have the guts and decency to rescind the tax. (Fat chance.)

Yuba County has good-to-excellent fire protection services in its state responsibility area — mostly provided by dedicated and well-trained volunteer firefighters. The residents pay for that protection through taxes to their individual fire districts. I don't see the extra $115 yearly going to the state.

If it survives, I predict the "fire tax" money will end up in the state General Fund. To challenge the tax, go to firepreventionfee.org (created by the state) or calfirefee.com (created by a group opposing the fee).

Hal Stocker

Yuba County supervisor

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