This is a thread all about Measure "O" and the consolidation, annexation or merger of the Rodeo-Hercules Fire District in the County controlled ConFire apparatus. The 2016 Ballot Approved (66.7% of the vote) Measure O is a $216 parcel tax measure that assesses an $18 per month parcel tax per each property, that receives a tax bill from the County Tax Assessors Office. Exempt are senior citizens over 65 years of age that own and occupy a home within boundaries of the RHFD. At the time Measure O was conceived it was believed that growth in Hercules and Rodeo would require at least three full functioning fire stations. At the time there were only two one in Hercules and another in Rodeo. The vision, was looking at the apartments being added, the train station and the ferry as well as additional businesses and residences. Designed to kick in within the 2021-2022 budget year it was anticipated that by then demand for these services would be there and money wouldn't. Of course we know now that this demand has yet to materialize, however while it may not exist now it might just change in the future. The key take away is that this "Parcel Tax" could only be used for a specific purpose "Fire Protection" and within a certain boundary "Hercules-Rodeo Fire District", however not so much as soon as it was passed there was a movement conceived to annex the Hercules-Rodeo Fire District into the County Controlled ConFire Apparatus. Which in effect would entitle the ConFire aka The Contra Costa County apparatus to now be able to decide how to spend those funds, and here in lies the rub. What advantage is there to RHFD merge with ConFire? Is it a benefit to the residents are is it a benefit to the County. Is this just another ploy by the County to eliminate Pinole-Hercules autonomy by eliminating the Animal Shelters, Fire Districts and yes perhaps even our Law Enforcement apparatus as a way to claw back these enclaves and our lucrative tax base? I propose creating a Residents for an Independent Pinole-Hercules to actively call attention to and resist this effort, and prevent the county from funding candidates and elected officials that carry their water for them and exert their influence on our fair cities.
Here is the link to Measure "O" on Ballotopedia:
Could this be the real reason for the annexation of RHFD into ConFire?
Cities, counties see monopolization of EMS as way to forestall pension reform
U.S. Fire Statistics:
The Spiraling Cost of California's Wildfires (Average annual fire suppression expenditure for the emergency fund of CDFFP.
Payroll of state and local government for full-time employees in the United States in 2019, by function (in million U.S. dollars)
Monthly payroll costs of the local government in the U.S. by function 2019 Published by Erin Duffin, Jul 8, 2020 This statistic shows the monthly payroll costs of local governments in the United States in March 2019, by function. The total pay for higher education amounted to around 1.86 billion U.S. dollars. The total payroll amounted to about 61 billion U.S. dollars in March 2019.
Total monthly pay for local governmental employees in the U.S. in 2019, by function (in million U.S. dollars)
Payroll of state and local government for full-time employees in the United States in 2019, by function (in million U.S. dollars)
Number of people employed by U.S. state and local governments by function 2019 Published by Erin Duffin, Jul 8, 2020 This statistic shows the number of people employed full-time by state and local governments in the United States in 2019, by function. The elementary and secondary education sector was the area with the highest number of state and local government employees in 2019 with about six million full-time employees.
Number of full-time employees of state and local government in the United States in 2019, by function
To Merge or Not To Merge
To Merge or Not to Merge: That is the Question - Part 1
Change has been the watchword for many fire department operations during the first decade of the 21st Century. A number of our accepted practices within the fire service have been revised and the manner in which services are delivered has witnessed a number of changes. In a great many cases, the actual departments which we have come to know, love, and understand have needed to be changed to meet the societal and economic imperatives of our new public safety environment.
Dr. Harry Carter
Sep 23rd, 2010
Follow this link:
To Merge or Not To Merge
Fire Engineering Article on the Wisdom of Mergers, Annexations and Consolidations
This is a link to an article in Fire Engineering:
Fire Department Mergers, Consolidations, and Annexations