Challenges and Opportunities Facing Our Community

Graton Fire Board of Directors has placed its first parcel tax, Measure F, on the ballot to fund fire and emergency response services. When enacted, Measure F will address current and future demands for service, increasing safety for District residents.

​Current Challenges

• Ever-increasing call volume; we are headed for more than 800 emergency calls this year
• Decreasing number of local volunteers
• ​No guarantee that volunteers will be available at all times, especially during the daytime
• Response times are too high. It currently takes 4-5 minutes for volunteers to reach the station, staff an engine, and respond
• Difficulty maintaining emergency equipment

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​Why Now?

• Graton Fire has become the busiest all-volunteer department in Sonoma County
• We respond to 40% more calls for help than any other all-volunteer department
• There are twice as many emergency calls as 20 years ago
• Graton is being sustained by 100% volunteers, from the fire chief to the trainees
• 65% of Graton volunteers no longer live in the District due to high cost of housing
• 85% work outside of Graton making them unavailable for daytime calls

​Benefits of a Parcel Tax for Our Future

• Full-time paid firefighters on-duty, ready to go, 24/7, in addition to current volunteer firefighters
• Significantly reduced response times
• Graton Fire can better protect residents by stopping wild fires sooner, before they grow out of control
• Faster response to emergencies, including starting CPR sooner to save lives
• Dedicated staffing may lower home insurance premiums for District residents
• Positions Graton Fire for future collaborations with partner fire districts
• Local tax dollars are kept here in Graton
• Retaining our volunteer firefighters as an integral part of our Fire Department:
  • ​staffing shifts
  • responding to calls alongside career staff
  • participating on disaster strike teams

Resolution and Ballot Ordinance

resolution__and_ballot_ordinance_filed_with_registrar_8-8-19.pdf
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Measure F FAQ's

What is the Graton Fire Protection District, and what territory does it cover?

Graton Fire covers roughly 8,800 residents and 26 square miles - from Northern Sebastopol to downtown Graton, Western Santa Rosa, and halfway to Occidental. This includes North of Mill Station Road, East of Green Hill Road, most of Green Valley Road, Vine Hill and Laguna Roads, and everything West of the Laguna de Santa Rosa. In addition, Graton Fire provides mutual aid when our neighboring fire departments need help and vice-versa.

What is Measure F?

Measure F is a ballot measure that will appear before voters in the Fall of 2019. Because Measure F is only to be used to enhance fire and emergency services, it requires a 2/3 majority of voters to pass. Measure F will establish a tax on all parcels within the Graton Fire Protection
District boundaries.

Why is Measure F on the Ballot in the Fall of 2019?

Graton Fire started researching options in July 2017 when emergency responses rose 20% and are still climbing. This demand is unsustainable. Hoping that there will be volunteer firefighters not at work and near the fire station 100% of the time is not a long-term plan. Thus, the Graton Fire Board of Directors decided to move forward with a well thought out plan for voters to consider. Funding is needed as soon as possible to ensure 24/7 coverage for fires, traffic collisions, medical emergencies, floods, etc.

What will Measure F cost homeowners?

Residential parcel rates are set at $250 per year, or 68 cents per day, per parcel.

​What will Measure F cost commercial businesses?

​Commercial parcel rates are set at $300 per parcel, plus a 14 cents per square foot, per year. 

Will Measure F charge my agricultural property by the acre?

No. The District considered and rejected applying a per acre rate for agricultural land.

How does the proposed parcel tax compare to other fire departments?

Consistent. Most fire departments charge between $200-300 for residential parcels and a similar range for commercial properties.

Are Graton Firefighters currently paid as staff?

No. From the Fire Chief to the newest firefighters, Graton Fire is 100% volunteer driven, and has been for 70 years.

What is the staffing plan?

The District goal is for 3 people to be at the ready at all times at the firehouse. Two career paid staff will work alongside 1 or 2 stipend volunteers, in addition to volunteers who will respond when there are larger incidents like traffic accidents, house and wildfires, and disaster situations like flooding, earthquakes, and major storms.

What will Measure F mean for the existing fire siren?

The Graton Fire siren will be used much less when Measure F passes. Currently, the siren is used to call volunteers to the station. During the day, that is for any emergency call (it is not utilized for non-emergency calls).

At night, the siren is only used when more than one fire
engine is needed (e.g., house fires, wildland fires, traffic collisions) as there are typically 1-2 volunteer firefighters sleeping at the station and ready to respond. With new staffing provided by Measure F, there will always be guaranteed staffing available for the first fire engine.

​Roughly 10% of emergencies require multiple fire engines; therefore, siren use is estimated to
decrease by 90%.

Do I pay a parcel tax now to Graton Fire?

No. This is the first time the volunteer firefighters have asked for a parcel tax. The District receives some funding (i.e., less than 1%) of the general property tax bill. For the fire station built in 2010, the District got a 30-year mortgage within what it could afford using this funding.

Are taxpayer protections built in to Measure F?

Yes. All taxpayers who live within the District boundaries will be able to attend regular meetings of the District Board of Directors that meets regularly on the second Tuesday of the month, starting at 7pm.  Additionally, the District Board will hold an annual rate setting meeting specifically on the parcel tax at the fire station in Graton.

​There will be no need to go to Santa Rosa or some other district to follow the public meeting, complain, or make requests of the District Board of Directors in open public session.

What happens if Measure F does not pass?

The District will consider other funding solutions to ensure someone will respond to emergencies. One possible scenario is annexing with a neighboring district that already has a parcel tax, which would be applied to the Graton parcels (through a LAFCO reorganization
procedure). The Board decided that a locally-controlled parcel tax is a better option than consolidating with another fire district and imposing that tax without voter approval; thus leading to Measure F.

What about the $42 million ½ cent sale tax the County of Sonoma is considering?

The County of Sonoma may approach voters for a ½ cent sales tax countywide, that will need to be adopted by ⅔ of the voters. If it is approved, then Graton Fire will be well situated if Measure F is successful, and we continue to explore collaborations with our neighboring districts, to
receive additional funds and staffing from the County. But there is no guarantee that that tax will be on the ballot, nor if it will pass.

Graton Fire is moving forward to best serve our public with the highest level of service possible, in the most responsible way. We need to take care of our own house first, and the needs and demands of the District cannot wait for the County of Sonoma to determine our path forward.

Can renters vote on Measure F, or is it just for property owners?

All registered voters within the boundaries of the Graton Fire Protection District have the opportunity to vote on Measure F. To determine your status as a district resident, contact the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters at 707-565-6800.

How important is it to vote?

Very! As a special election year, there is only one item - Measure F. Please take the time to educate yourself, and cast your ballot on or before November 5th, 2019.

More Questions?

Contact Volunteer Fire Chief, Bill Bullard, 823-8400 x101 or bbullard@gratonfire.com

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Graton Fire Protection District Map