The Placer County Board of Supervisors listened to a presentation on July 22 regarding the Martis Valley tax void for the Truckee Fire Protection District. Currently, the TFPD provides services to neighborhoods including Martis Camp, Schaffer’s Mill, and part of Lahontan without receiving a portion of their ad valorem property taxes.
Tim Taran, the attorney representing the TFPD, presented to the board a request to receive a 40/60 split (40 to the TFPD) of the county’s fire control funds. “Of your 1% ad valorem, 1.88% … goes to this thing called fire control,” TFPD chief Bill Seline said in Moonshine Ink’s original coverage of the issue, Red Flag Warning.
Public comment was unanimously in support of the county adopting the TFPD proposal, including words from Bill Beatty, a homeowner in Martis Camp; David Polivy and Anna Klovstad of the Truckee Town Council; and Robert Leftwich, chief of Truckee Police.
District 1 supervisor Jim Holmes balked at the request, preferring a universal solution. “If we’re going to do something, it needs to be a comprehensive approach throughout the county,” said Holmes.
Cindy Gustafson of district 5, on the other hand, pointed out the difference between fire districts receiving not enough money versus zero money, and said she is supportive of TFPD’s request.
“I am going to take heat literally in other areas of my district,” Gustafson said. “But I do find all taxpayers want to find equity with their tax dollars. They want to know their tax dollars are being fairly distributed by this board.”
No decision was made (or scheduled), though the supervisors provided direction to staff to move forward based on their comments, most of which revolved around accepting the TFPD’s proposal.
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