Council Struggles to Keep CA Fire District Open

BARSTOW — Barstow officials are reluctant to sound the death knell on Measure J, despite the tax measure's apparent defeat during the Nov. 7 election.

City council members were adamant in stating they wouldn't give up control of the Barstow Fire Protection District so easily during their meeting on Nov. 20, despite Measure J — a half-cent sales tax meant to bolster the struggling fire district — failing to reach the two-thirds majority needed to pass.

Unofficial election results showed almost 65 percent of Barstow voters approved the measure, in contrast to the 35 percent opposing it. A Nov. 16 update showed 1,312 "Yes" votes have now been tallied — a small, but not unnoticed gain from the original 1,276 "Yes" votes reported on Nov. 10.

"With each update, the numbers have improved. Not by much, but they have improved some, and we still have one more count to go," councilman Rich Harpole said.

The measure would have imposed a half-cent sales tax throughout the city that's expected to generate an estimated $3.8 million a year, with residents paying an average of $47 a year, according to city officials. The funds were meant to be earmarked for the BFPD. It was highly touted as a way for residents to maintain local accountability.

City and fire officials have expressed their disappointment at the measure's apparent failure, while still holding on to hope that the final count may turn things around.

"Over 65 percent of our community came out to support us," BFPD Fire Chief Jamie Williams said shortly after the election. "And we're still trending in the right direction. We might still pull it off. It's possible."

According to the County Elections Office, there were an estimated 426 uncounted votes as of Nov. 24. The election results are expected to be finalized in the next two weeks.

Yet Harpole acknowledged that the extra votes would likely not be enough to reach the threshold needed for the measure to pass. But he, along with the rest of the city council, remained steadfast in their hopes of saving the fire district.

Discussions on the measure dominated the Nov. 20 city council meeting, with all public and council comments expressed that night touching down on the issue.

"We let our firefighters down. We let our town down," resident Billie Brown said. "If there's anything else we can do for our firefighters, I'm happy to support it."

With Measure J seemingly defeated, however, city officials will now be looking at a limited set of alternatives to maintain fire services.

Williams and city spokesman Anthony Riley both mentioned the possibility of new property taxes or a parcel tax on property owners, while Mayor Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre and Mayor Pro Tem Carmen Hernandez hinted at the possibility of putting Measure J, or a similar tax measure, back on the ballot in the future.

"We don't quite know yet what that's going to look like, but you're going to see us reach out to you again and need your help," Hackbarth-McIntyre said.

But the most likely option would be the City Council annexing the BFPD into the San Bernardino County Fire Department. The region would then fall under the umbrella of County Fire's FP-5 parcel tax, estimated to be about $150 for every parcel in the city. That tax would increase 3 percent each year thereafter.

Nevertheless, city officials have been clear in leaving that option as a last resort.

"I can assure the citizens that I am not ready to move on to the county option," Councilman Timothy Silva said. "I think we owe it to the citizens to look at other options to keep that local control before we move on."

Paola Baker may be reached at 760-955-5332 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @DP_PaolaBaker.

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