SPECIAL FIRE TAX RISES THIS YEAR DEPARTMENT SAYS IT NEEDS MONEY TO AVOID CUTBACKS.Byline: Daily News LOS ANGELES - Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. homeowners will pay an extra $4.27 each this year for a special tax that supports the Los Angeles County Fire Department Not to be confused with Los Angeles Fire Department. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including the City of La . The county Board of Supervisors The examples and perspective in this article or section may represent an unduly geographically limited view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. The Board of Supervisors is the body governing counties in the U.S. voted 4-0 Tuesday to increase the tax 8.8 percent to $52.93 for single-family homes in Palmdale, Lancaster, unincorporated areas and other cities served by the county fire department. Officials expect the tax, countywide, will bring in an extra $3.9 million for the Fire Department, which is in the midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?" midmost of a legal battle with the state over tax revenue. Fire officials said they need the money to avoid cutting back personnel, and have already delayed fire engine purchases and plan to use station construction money for operating expenses. Officials also said they expect to ask for another 2 percent increase - the maximum - next year. In 1997, voters in the areas served by the department approved a special tax of $48 per single-family home for fire and paramedic par·a·med·ic n. A person who is trained to give emergency medical treatment or assist medical professionals. paramedic services. Before the 1997 vote, the tax had been $55.96. But the 1997 vote allowed the annual rate to be periodically increased in line with the Consumer Price Index, up to a maximum 2 percent a year. Last year's increase was below the maximum allowed. For this fiscal year, the maximum the tax could be raised to would be $52.93, which is what county Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman had asked the board to approve. The tax will also go up for other types of property, such as apartments and businesses, which are charged according to size. The tax for a mobile home in a park will go up from $25.94 to $26.46. Freeman said the department will look at whether it can make a downward adjustment in the tax next year. Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San , whose sprawling Fifth District includes Santa Clarita, was absent from Tuesday's meeting. |
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