Fire Tax Bills Due

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Sacramento, CA - California will begin mailing the first of more than 825,000 "Fire Prevention Fee" bills on Monday, August 13.

The tax, approved as a fee by a simple majority vote of the Legislature last year, charges residential property owners in rural areas $150 for each habitable structure located on their land. Property owners who pay for local fire protection will receive a $35 reduction.

The bills will go out in alphabetical order by county between August and early December. The state has released the following partial mailing schedule:

ALAMEDA                               August 13th through 14th
ALPINE                                  August 14th
AMADOR                               August 14th through 17th
BUTTE                                  August 17th through 24th
CALAVERAS                          August 24th through 29th
COLUSA                               August 29th
CONTRA COSTA                   August 29th
DEL NORTE                          August 29th through 30th
EL DORADO                         August 30th through September 7th
FRESNO                              September 7th through 10th
GLENN                                September 10th
HUMBOLDT                         September 10th through 12th
IMPERIAL                           September 12th
INYO                                 September 12th

Tuolumne County taxpayers will get their bills by the end of the year as counties J through Z will be part of the second half of the billing. Payment is due 30 days from the date on the bill. Taxpayers could receive a penalty and interest if they do not pay the bill within that time.

One opponent of the bill is State Senator George Runner. Runner says if you object to the bill you can fill out a form stating that once you get the bill. He plans to join in on a lawsuit charging the fee is unconstitutional because the state Legislature should have had to cast a two-thirds vote instead of a simple majority vote on this type of tax.

Click here for more information on the bill and your options.

Written by Tracey Petersen

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