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Cayucos fire tax to appear on June ballot

March 18, 2016

CayucosCFCayucos fire officials are trying to stave off dissolution of the community’s fire department by asking voters to pass a tax in June. The tax would raise the assessment on single-family homes in Cayucos from $100 a year to $500 a year. [Tribune]

Last October, the Cayucos fire commission announced plans to dissolve the fire department and turn over the agency’s responsibilities to San Luis Obispo County, which contracts out to Cal Fire. The Cayucos Firefighters Association has since been pushing for a tax measure to keep the fire department from folding.

If approved by voters, Measure C-16 would fund the transition of the Cayucos Fire Department from a volunteer-based agency to one with full-time firefighters.

Cayucos firefighters are paid-call employees. They received some compensation but are considered volunteer firefighters by state standards.

Fire department staff says a budget of more than $1 million is needed to make the transition. The fire department currently has a budget of approximately $500,000 — about half of which goes to contract with Cal Fire, which places a captain and firefighter at Cayucos Fire Station 11 during the non-fire season.

The fire department serves about 2,600 people and responds to more than 400 calls for service yearly. Revenue comes from property taxes and an existing special fire tax that voters approved in 2012.

Union officials say the fire department has struggled to retain and recruit adequate staffing because of the paid-call system. The union argues the tax measure is necessary to maintain local control over fire services.

If voters pass the ballot measure, the tax initiative will fund the department for at least 10 years without the need for another increase, union vice president Mark Walton said.

The fire commission is currently hiring temporary staff through June 30 using about $90,000 in savings from fire season starting late and from paying less to contract with Cal Fire last year. The commission will meet in May to discuss alternative options should voters reject the ballot measure.

Vote-by-mail ballots start going out to voters on May 9. California’s primary election will take place on June 7.


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Of the 400 calls for service, how many are for fires?


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Good Luck with that ……


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maybe if they give everyone 20 bucks…


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Sounds like Cal Fire is the best choice. It would be socially responsible for the County to spend more on public safety instead of recruiting an influx of social service needs. Yes, our tax dollars need to be first committed to public safety. With what’s left over we then do what we can. This doesn’t mean that we can’t have volunteers, it is just fiscally responsible for everyone to volunteer what they can instead of creating a tax burden for the less professional services.


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So they want to raise property taxes from $100 to $500 to cover the costs? Wow, I would think doubling the $100 would be a more reasonable consideration. Seems a bit high.


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Do the math. Department says it needs $500K to keep running. I don’t know how many properties there are in Cayucos but the article says 2,600 people. Let’s say there are 1,250 homes. 1,250 x $400 increase = $500K. Doubling isn’t going to get them there…


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The $500 per home per year is just the start. Have you ever known a government agency that had enough money? If this tax passes it won’t be long before the citizens of a shucks are told unforeseen expenses have created the need for a tax above the $500 initially requested.


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My democratic socialist friends have been telling me this was all part of our basic human rights and that we fund this through our taxes. Were they wrong?


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I grew up in a community like Cayucos. There was 1 full-time firefighter and all of the rest were volunteers from the community that the firefighter trained.

Didn’t need million dollar budgets to pay pensions for the rest of people’s lives and it worked.


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Wow what a tax increase Cal Fire does a great job in Los Osos so save the taxpayer and vote NO.


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$100 a year to $500 a year….


It will NEVER pass unless California Socialism is alive and well in Cayucos.


They were way overpaid for a small town that size…

Same in Morro Bay.


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