Kern County proposes that nine cities pay more for county fire services

County proposes that nine cities pay more for county fire services

INCORPORATED CITIES TO PAYMORE MONEY FOR COUNTY FIREDEPARTMENT SERVICES BUTLEADERS IN THE CITY OF WASCO SAYA 195 PERCENTINCREASE IN COST OVER A 7 YEARPERIOD IS UNAFFORDABLE.23ABC'S TORI COOPER IS JOININGUS LIVE FROM THE KERNCOUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT WHERE SHESPOKE TO FIREUNION, THE COUNTY AND THE CITYOF WASCO TORI?YEA JESSICA, THE COUNTY SAYSTHAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENTLOSES 10 MILLION DOLLARS A YEARFOR PROVIDING SERVICES TO NINEDIFFERENT INCORPORATED CITIESINCLUDING WASCO-AND THEYSAY IF THESE AREAS DON'T STARTPROPERLY BUDGETING FOR FIRE THEYNEED TO CREATE THEIR OWN FIREDEPARTMENT INTHEIR CITY.("WE COMMISSIONED A STUDY OF FIRESERVICE OPERATIONS A FEW YEARSAGO BYTHE CENTER FOR PUBLIC SAFETYMANAGEMENT, THEY FOUND THAT THEFIREDEPARTMENT WAS NOT BEINGCOMPENSATED FOR 100 PERCENT OFTHEIRFULL COST OF SERVICES IN 9INCORPORATED CITIES THATCONTRACT WITHTHEM."KERN CONTY CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVEOFFICER-RYANOLSOP- SAYS A NEW STUDY SHOWSTHE COUNTY FIREDEPARTMENT IS LOSING 10 MILLIONDOLLARS A YEAR DUE TO FALTYCONTRACTS."OUR CHIEF.BECAUSE OF THISPROBLEMALMOST SPECIFICALLY.HAS NOABILITY TO GO OUT AND MAKEINVESTMENTS IN EQUIPMENT ANDCAPITAL OUTWEIGHS AND OTHERTHINGSTHAT HE NEEDS IN ORDER TO BEEFFECTIVE."ALSOP SAYS IT'S NO FAULT TO THECHIEF OR THE NINEINCORPORATED CITIES THAT HAVEBEEN PAYING WHAT HE CALLS-LOW ANNUAL FEES FOR FIRE SAFETYSERVICES-BUT IT'S A CONTRACTISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVEDSO THAT OUR COUNTY FIREDEPARTMENT DOESN'T LOSE MONEYEACH YEAR.

AND HESAYS IT STARTS WITH THE EACHCITY BUDGETING CORRECTLY."THEY NEED TO BUDGET FOR THEM IFTHEY DON'T WANT TO CONTRACT WITHTHE COUNTY THEY CAN CONTEMPLATECREATING THEIR OWN FIREDEPARTMENTS,"THE COUNTY IS NOW PROPOSING ANINCREASE IN COST FOR FIRESERVICES IN NINE DIFFERENTCITIES OVER A 7 YEARPERIOD-INCLUDEDARE THE CITIES OF RIDGECREST,DELANO, WASCO, TAFT, TEHACHAPI,MARACAPA, MCFARLADND, ARVIN,AND SHAFTER.ALSOP SAYING THIS IS TO HELPRECOUP THE COST OF THE FAULTYCONTRACTS FROM THE PAST AND TOHELP THE DEPARTMENT GETBACK UP TO SPEED FINANCIALLY-BUTTHE MAYOR OF THE CITY OFWASCO-TILO CORTEZ JR- SAYS A 195PERCENTINCREASE-OR ROUGHLY AN EXTRA ONEMILLION DOLLARS IN COST TO THEIRCITY IN IS UNAFFORDABLE.("AND I DON'T KNOW OF VERY MANYMUNICIPALBUDGETS OR CITY BUDGETS THAT CANABSORB THAT TYPE OF HIT OVERSEVENYEARS WITHOUT DEVASTATING THEIRGENERAL FUND,"MAYOR CORTEZ SAYS THEY WERE NOTGIVEN THE ANALYSIS TOREVIEW BEFORE THE COUNTYPROPOSED THEIR NEW SEVEN YEARPLAN OR EVEN A CHANCE TO DISCUSSWITH COUNTYLEADERS-CORTEZ NOW ASKING FOR ACHANCE TO NEGOTIATEFURTHER SO THEY DON'T HAVE TOPULL FROM THEIR GENERAL FUNDAND OTHER CITY SERVICES.THE FIRE ASSOCIATION ARGUINGTHIS IS SIMPLY A COSTHOLE THAT NEEDS TO BE FILLED.("JUST THE COST FOR OPERATIONALONE IS NOT BEING RECOVERED INTHECONTRACT CITIES, WE DON'T EVENRECOVER THE COST TO STAFF THESTATION."NOW WE REACHED OUT TO THE COUNTYFIRE DEPARTMENT WHO