The South Placer Fire District is asking voters to approve a new parcel tax to address staffing shortages, rising operating costs and the potential closure of additional fire stations.
Measure B will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot for voters in Granite Bay and Loomis. If approved, it would establish a $375 uniform parcel tax across the district to help fund fire and emergency services.
Two of the district's six fire stations have already closed because of staffing shortages and funding challenges. Station 19 is among them, with a sign outside warning that no fire engine is staffed there.
Fire Chief Darin Snedeker said a third station is operating below national staffing standards, affecting the district's ability to respond quickly to emergencies.
"When seconds matter in this industry, that's pretty significant for us," Snedeker said.
The chief said the district has struggled to retain firefighters and paramedics, with wages and working conditions contributing to staffing challenges.
"We've lost 112% of our workforce over the last six years — 68% of that is from the firefighter-paramedic rank," Snedeker said.
The district currently has seven vacancies among its firefighter-paramedic ranks, Snedeker noted.
"When you have vacancies like that, the firefighters are working on average 72, if not more, hours a week. And when you do that, over time, that wears on the employees' health, mental health and physical health as well," he said.
Measure B would help the district address staffing needs, operating expenses and rising equipment costs. According to the district's website, the cost of purchasing a new fire engine has nearly doubled since 2021.
Snedeker said if the measure fails, the district could face the closure of three of its six stations.
"Obviously, having to close firehouses just increases response time, and it increases in terms of the medical aid increases time, the effective time we can get the patient to the hospital for definitive care. And in the case of fire, unchecked fire doubles in size every minute," Snedeker said.
The district has held community meetings and reached out to voters to build support for the measure, with campaign signs visible in neighborhoods throughout Granite Bay.
But not everyone supports the proposed tax.
Jeff Moss, a Granite Bay resident who served as a South Placer Fire District board member and volunteered with the district for nearly 20 years, is urging voters to reject Measure B.
"We have to be concerned about the dollars and how they're being spent," Moss said.
Moss said the current situation stems from voters rejecting a previous ballot measure intended to fund the district. However, he disputes the district's warning that more stations could close without additional revenue.
"It's a scare tactic, if you want to put it that way, that we're in grave danger of losing stations if this tax doesn't pass. I believe the money is there to keep these stations open," Moss said.
The measure would need support from at least two-thirds of voters to pass and replace the district's current annual tax.
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