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District 2 El Dorado County Supervisor Ray Nutting spoke to a full house Sept. 14 at the Marshall Grange Hall regarding the recent Cal Fire State Resonsibility Area fire fee many recently received in the mail. Most in the Divide area received a bill for $115, with a $35 credit for fees already paid to local fire departments.
The first thing Nutting did was to give everyone a piece of paper with a Website on it — firetaxprotest.org. This site outlines the directions for those wishing to protest and tells where to send three copies of the protest letter.
Nutting gave some history as to the background of the fee. Attempts have been made for 15 years to get such a fee. Governors Deukmejian, Davis and Schwarzenegger would not sign it and it never received a 2/3 vote of the Legislature. According to Nutting, the state has raided the Cal Fire budget of $50 million and this is a way to return some of those funds.
The fees that are paid will go into the general fund of Cal Fire and that agency can then spend those funds as they wish. Word is that education about wildfire prevention will be an important aspect. These funds will provide no additional services nor actual prevention, other than public education, according to what information is currently available.
Nutting said it is very important that everyone pay this fee on time, as the penalties are very stiff. Those wishing to protest the fee, however, must follow the process outlined on the above Website. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association believes this fee is an illegal tax and encourages people to protest through the specific process. The group is suing the state and the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors supports this lawsuit.
The process to protest is as follows: Print out the form from the Website. Have three copies of it. Also make three copies of the $115 check. Property parcel number, which is found on the tax bill, must be written on the check. Fill out the three forms with the information requested. Attach the one form included (reason for your protest) as well as a copy of the check to show payment has been made. On the memo line of the check, write the words “Under Protest.”
A total of four mailings will be made — the bill received with a check payment, and the three protest forms to Fire Prevention Petitions, Board of Forestry and Fire Protection and Board of Equalization. Only those people who follow these directions will get a refund, when and if the Howard Jarvis lawsuit is successful. Results of the project are not expected to be known for a minimum of 18 months.
This fee is for habitable dwellings. There is no bill for a vacant parcel. According to the information on the billing, a lien can be placed on individual homes and it can be foreclosed upon if the fee is not paid within 30 days of the date on the bill. The bill received is for the 2011-12 year and in March another bill for the 2012-13 year can be expected.
According to Nutting, this fee was approved by Democrats in urban areas. He indicated that local Democrats are not in favor of it and understand the inequities inherent in this fee. Difficulties in collecting the fee are expected, as a result of when properties changed hands and verification of current ownership on some parcels. It was mentioned that this fee is not tax-deductible, and local resident outcry against the fee has been very loud.
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Common SenseSeptember 26, 2012 - 12:14 pm
The second thing Ray did was hand out a flyer on how a fire district can raise funds by hiring his firm of Nutting Alarcon and Delinger. Or better know are Curly Larry and Moe. What a hypocrite, he just convinced us at Pioneer Fire District to vote in a tax to provide fire protection.
Claire McNealSeptember 26, 2012 - 7:14 pm
How can I get a copy of the flyer Supervisor Nutting passed out? Can you get me a copy?
District 2 ConstituentSeptember 26, 2012 - 7:20 pm
Hey Ray.......Did you forget where your supervisorial district is? How about you get back to Cameron Park and south of Highway 50 and take care of the constituents that elected you?
FernSeptember 26, 2012 - 10:36 pm
"According to Nutting, this fee was approved by Democrats in urban areas. He indicated that local Democrats are not in favor of it and understand the inequities inherent in this fee. " Hey, Ray! There are Republicans in urban areas too. Ever heard of Orange County?
Involved CitizenSeptember 27, 2012 - 9:51 am
Yes, there are Republicans in Urban areas, too. However this link will show you the voting results: http://www.calfirefee.com/the-bill/senate-vote/. It is a fact that the voting results were completely partisan with all those in favor of the fee/tax being Democrats and all those against the fee/tax being Republicans. Perhaps results such as this should be remembered in November. Californians in general seem to vote in the same usual suspects then complain about the results later. Over and over and over again.
John StevensSeptember 27, 2012 - 9:52 pm
Ray Nutting is invited to, or attends, a public meeting and identifies himself as a County Supervisor, leading a reasonable person to belive that he is acting within the capacity of an elected official. He then possibly hands out literature for a private consulting firm he runs with his partners Alarcon and Dellinger; a business that could result in personal profit for Nutting and his partners. Seems like a conflict. The fact that he attends and speaks at a meeting arranged to discuss a topic, the SRA fee, that has many residents already confused, angry and looking for information to only then turn and hand out literature that promotes his personal business leaves one to wonder if the whole purpose of the SRA fee discussion in Garden Valley that night was merely a guise to attract a crowd to promote his personal business. Seems like a conflict. Now factor in the current legal troubles of his business partners Dellinger and Alarcon. The District Attorney has filed Civil Complaints against both for receiving (taking) taxpayers funds to work, as paid campaign consultants, on the recent Measure F - a parcel tax/benefit assessment for fire protection services within the Pioneer Fire District. The very "service" they were promoting at the Garden Valley SRA fee meeting. Add in Alarcon's not so recent plea deal with the DA over a series (was it a final total of 9?) of fraud/theft related felonies. He plead no contest after receiving free legal representation from a taxpayer funded public defender. Seems pretty bold for these three to continue to promote their business. Maybe bold is not a strong enough word. Not a one of them appears to be too concerned with the still pending legal matters that resulted from their illegal work on Measure F. Maaybe taking their road show to a different part of the county was also part of their strategy. Do the three of them believe they are above the law? Believe that after all of this they remain untouchable? Unbeatable? The propery owners in the Pioneer Fire District should also remember all of this in November - when they start receiving their newly approved benefit assessment compliments of Nutting, Dellinger and Alarcon. The tax paying residents of this county, led by the residents within the Pioneer District and those who attended the meeting in Garden Valley should be demanding answers and accountability.
IndepententOctober 01, 2012 - 8:02 am
After watching Nutting for years I feel it’s just a matter of time until he’s taken down. The development community got their hook into Ray during his first term and seem to have assured Ray that he is untouchable. But history has shown us that people who don’t easily recognize the line between right and wrong eventually self destruct. As was the case recently of one of Rays trusted commission appointees and former CHP officer.
J MathatOctober 01, 2012 - 2:11 pm
How many supposed misdemeanors and proven accusations does it take for the DA to do his job and how many times does it take the voters in Dist 2 to get "taxed" to realize they have been duped by their re-elected Supervisor "AGAIN"!!! Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice shame on ME!!!