Equity 4 Rodeo and Hercules

Q1. Is Measure O typical of funding for fire protection services?

A1. No. Fire districts throughout Contra Costa County are funded by a portion of the 1% ad valorem property tax. Rodeo and Hercules pay the standard 1% ad valorem property tax and county-wide sales tax, but onlythe Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District (RHFD) has three additional special taxes assessed by parcel: two longstanding benefit assessments and Measure O. By contrast, residents of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (ConFire) pay only the 1% ad valorem tax and county-wide sales tax, with no extra parcel taxes like Measure O.

Q2. Why was Measure O passed?

A2. Residents of Rodeo and Hercules strongly supported their independent local fire district. They voted for Measure O in 2016 to reopen Station 75 in Rodeo after closures in the wake of the 2008–2010 financial crisis. Because of the passage of Measure O, RHFD has accumulated a surplus of over $7 million since 2016. Upon annexation this entire surplus will pass to ConFire. 

Q3. Is Measure O still needed if RHFD merges with ConFire?

A3. No. As a matter of equity, Rodeo and Hercules should not pay more taxes than the other communities served by ConFire. And even if the Measure O parcel tax is repealed, Rodeo and Hercules will continue to pay two special parcel taxes for fire service benefits that nobody else in the county pays. 

Moreover, ConFire will be handed a surplus of more than $7 million at the time of annexation, and ConFire has said it will operate more efficiently than RHFD, greatly reducing operating costs.

Lastly, it appears that for decades the County did not provide agreed-upon revenues to RHFD from property taxes paid by the Phillips 66 refinery in Rodeo. The money owed amounts to millions of dollars, and would be a windfall to ConFire, eliminating any need for Measure O funding.

Q4. Did other districts that merged with ConFire pay extra taxes like RHFD?

A4. No. Residents of the former East Contra Costa Fire District (ECCFPD) rejected multiple proposed tax measures to keep the district financially afloat. ConFire annexed this district and subsidized new stations using Measure X. Pinole Fire District reopened its second station under a ConFire contract, also subsidized via Measure X. ECCFPD and Pinole do not have to pay extra taxes for fire service; only Rodeo and Hercules pay additional taxes like Measure O. 

Q5. How did ConFire afford to annex financially-troubled ECCFPD and Pinole?

A5. A countywide sales tax (Measure X) provided at least $12.5 million upfront and $9.8 million annually for ECCFPD, and $2 million per year to help Pinole reopen its second station. Residents of Rodeo and Hercules have received no Measure X funding for RHFD – our Measure X tax payments are being spent by ConFire in other communities.

Q6. Will ConFire pay RHFD to be annexed?

A6. No. ECCFPD and Pinole have received additional fire stations and millions of dollars in subsidies, but Rodeo and Hercules will get no new stations and no additional firefighters in the annexation. We are expected to subsidize other communities by paying extra taxes like Measure O that no other ConFire service area pays.

Q7. Should you sign the “Repeal Measure O” petition?

A7. Yes! Rodeo and Hercules were unfairly denied the opportunity to vote on annexation. A majority of the RHFD Board signed away all the assets of the district to ConFire without asking the people of the district for an advisory vote. They claimed RHFD was in trouble financially despite RHFD having a string of operating surpluses and millions in the bank due to Measure O. All pro-democracy voters in Rodeo and Hercules should want to see this measure on the ballot to give voters a voice. Rodeo and Hercules should not subsidize everyone else in ConFire’s district by paying extra taxes. (In fact we still will pay extra taxes in the form of two special benefit assessments, which will continue even if Measure O is repealed.)