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SACRAMENTO-

Most people don’t think twice about firefighters showing up fast in their hour of need, but to efficiently handle crises for the 614,000 people it’s responsible for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District says it now helps, it needs an average of $27.50 extra per property owner in its district per year.

“We have six closed engine companies. We also have an increasing call volume and those two things combined result in us taking longer to get to your emergency,” Metro Fire Deputy Chief Chris Holbrook said.

And that’s a trend Metro Fire’s leaders say has to be reversed. Many in the community question if a new annual fee is the way.

“My question is, take a look at their budget at both ends before they start hitting the taxpayer,” Carmichael resident Mike Miller said.

Union firefighters have already taken a 12 percent cut to guaranteed raises to help fill a $93 million budget hole caused by property tax revenue on the decline since 2008.

Administrators have also taken pay cuts, but taxpayer advocates are still challenging the plan.

The biggest problem for them isn’t what’s being asked for, but how.

“Benefit assessments make sense for things like sidewalks and sewers, things that are right next to a parcel of property but they make no sense for a generalized governmental service like fire protection,” Jon Coupal, with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said Monday.

Coupal’s group pushed Prop 218 to limit what it believed were abuses with benefit assessments.

Coupal is also concerned that since property owners are the only ones who’ll get to vote on this idea, renters without say will suffer.

“Property owners would pay, but of course they’ll pass that increased cost on the renters,” he said.

“It is Metro Fire’s opinion that those who pay the tax should vote on the tax,” said Holbrook.

A new fee is a step that could help save more lives by adding resources to the department, but it’s not one that will resolve all of Metro’s budgetary woes.

“Nobody is trying to refill the coffers to 100 percent. This isn’t the one magic bullet that brings us out,” Holbrook said.

But, the fee is a key piece of Metro’s recovery plan.

Metro Fire’s board will vote on the proposal April 16. An approved measure could mean voters will be mailed ballots in May.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers’ Association is planning court action if the fee is approved.