Groveland, CA — A proposed property assessment to fund fire services in the Groveland Community Services District failed to gain support.
Ballots were sent to property owners in May, and they were tabulated during a special public hearing on Wednesday at the Groveland Resilience Center on Ferretti Road.
The yearly fee would have been $475 for single-family residential equivalent properties, and a separate fee structure for commercial properties. GCSD officials stated it was designed to ensure the district can adequately fund its fire services in future years.
The vote was conducted solely by property owners, and it was weighted based on the amount of property owned.
The final count was 39.5% voting yes and 60.5% voting no.
GCSD put out a statement afterwards, noting, “The District Board has spent several years listening to our community and evaluating how to maintain a dependable local fire department. To do that, the District commissioned an independent fifteen-year financial analysis that identified the funding necessary to continue providing reliable fire protection into the future. The proposed assessment reflected that long-term financial plan. Under Proposition 218, the final decision belonged to the affected property owners. The District’s only responsibility was to provide transparent information, answer questions, and conduct a fair public process so the community can determine the level of fire protection it wishes to support.”
Moving forward, GCSD adds, “The District respects the decision of the property owners and remains committed to working with Tuolumne County, CAL FIRE, and our community to provide the best fire protection possible with the resources available.”
