ELECTION 2017: Learning more about Measure Y, the Blue Lake Fire Tax

BLUE LAKE – Blue Lake Fire Protection District is asking for the community’s financial support at the ballot box.
The district’s board proposed Measure Y to replace aging equipment including one engine that was slated to go last year but is still in service due to budget constraints. The tax would also cover $75,000 that will be lost when the district’s contract with Blue Lake Rancheria expires in two years.
Measure Y taxes range from $75 to $400 per parcel depending on the type of use and would generate approximately $120,000 annually. It requires a two-thirds vote to pass.
Chief Ray Stonebarger said, if it does, it will replace the existing tax for fire service and support the work of the district’s twenty-three volunteer firefighters.
Chief Ray Stonebarger of the Blue Lake Fire Protection District said, “We have a 20 year plan. We’re in line with it, but we keep coming up with these revenue shortfalls. Those aren’t going to go away. The equipment isn’t going to replace itself, so we have to seek the funding. The only way to do that is to go back to the voters.”
District residents can learn more about Measure Y at a community meeting on November 1st at the Blue Lake Fire Hall. Watch News Channel 3 on November 7th for complete election coverage.