[Grovenet] fire funding

[Kevin Van Dyke]

The City of Forest Grove provides fire protection service to properties that do not pay for that service. (example: Enterprise Zone) Now they find themselves in the situation of not being able to adequately fund their share of the joint fire department.  

The City Manager asked the Rural Fire District (that jointly owns and manages the dept) to make additional contributions to the operational costs in the event that the levy failed. Mr Sykes said that if the District payed an additional $20,000 it "might" mean not having to cut staff.

 After some discussion as to the value of the partnership, the Rural Board agreed to make the one time gift.

The City of Forest Grove residents will now find themselves being the recipient of a gift as well as the existing 0% interest loan from the rural taxpayers that surround the City. 

At some point the City needs to do a better job of managing this.  It is not reasonable to expect non-City residents to foot the bill for City residents.
There will be more pressure for the City to get out of the fire business.  Fire districts have been shown to be a better management model.  

It especially bothers me that the City of FG as well as other cities continue to designate Enterprise Zones and Urban Renewal Districts.  These "valuable tools" (your City Manager's term) transfer the cost of public safety service from those who receive the service to their neighbors. If the neighbors balk (don't pass money measures) then they suffer the consequences.

Two very good examples...
Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue will be charged with protecting the North Bethany area when it is built up to a population the size of Sherwood.  This will require a new station and staffing at cost of 1.3 million dollars annually, while only receiving just under $400,000 in taxes from that area because it's been designated an Urban Renewal area  with taxes frozen at farm deferred rates.  Urban Renewal?  It's farm ground.  It's not "renewal", it's new urban infrastructure.

Clackamas Fire District #1 collects 10% of their total tax revenue from Enterprise Zones and Urban Renewal Districts, yet spends 40% of their budget providing service to those areas.  Who does this benefit?  The Villabois neighborhood and the City of Wilsonville, who built their City Hall with  tax increment financing,  It's a back door finance tool.

Fire districts can not spend what they don't have......... the difference comes by having the remaining patrons pay more than their share. 

Portland State University has published a study on these "valuable tools".  The study shows that these are boondogles. They don't fulfill the promises made by 
promoters, all at the expense of the rest of you.

So, City of FG residents "may not" see cuts in the fire service......and if they don't they owe at least a thank you to their rural neighbors.

Kevin Van Dyke


 
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