We Already Pay For Fire

Opponents state that LA County Fire Department costs are already covered through property taxes. That is not the case.

When Proposition 13 passed, Palos Verdes Estates operated its own Fire Department. As a result, PVE received a higher share of property tax revenues, approximately 11.3%, compared to Rancho Palos Verdes at 6.94%.

When PVE disbanded its Fire Department in 1985, the City began contracting directly with and paying for services provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. This created a fundamentally different funding structure than neighboring cities such as Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates, and Rolling Hills, which receive LA County Fire services but do not pay for those costs directly. In exchange, those cities receive a lower percentage of property tax revenues.

Because PVE does not operate under the same arrangement, an additional $2.5 million in annual LA County Fire costs are currently paid from the General Fund as compared to other cities.

In addition, the current Measure E does not fully fund the Police Department, requiring approximately $3.6 million in additional costs currently paid from the General Fund.