Woodbridge Fire District Seeks Property Tax to Maintain Services

August 9, 2020 at 12:18 pm

On Thursday, the Board of Directors of the Woodbridge Rural Fire Protection District voted to add a property tax proposal to the November ballot. Revenue from the tax would be used to maintain emergency response times, rescue services, facilities, firefighting equipment, and emergency medical positions. The district currently covers 192 square miles of Woodbridge-Acampo area.

One of the trucks of the Woodbridge Rural Fire Protection District, which requested a property tax for the November ballot.

Image courtesy of Woodbridge Rural Fire Protection District

The measure would tax improved parcels of land at 8 cents per building square foot. Unimproved parcels would be charged a flat annual rate of $45. The tax is expected to net roughly $1.2 million yearly for the district, according to Lieutenant Eric Edwards. Revenues from the proposal will be subject to independent citizen oversight, although it has not been determined what specific form that will take.

Like many taxpayer-funded services, the fire district is expected to see a dip in tax income due to the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic recession. The property tax proposal is meant to compensate for the reduced funding, as its revenues will be put towards maintaining existing services rather than expanding them.