Felton Fire Protection District Updates
Latest News
What Felton Voters Need to Know About the Felton Fire Tax Assessment Tax 5.26.2026
The San Lorenzo Valley Post examines a ballot measure asking Felton Fire Protection District property owners to approve an assessment of roughly $700/year per single-family home to more than double the district’s budget and shift it to a paid staffing model. The article pushes back on campaign claims that the station would close if the measure fails, noting that LAFCO has identified 12 governance alternatives — including mergers with neighboring districts — none of which involve shutting down the Felton station.
Understanding Proposition 218 and the Felton Fire Benefit Assessment 5.3.2026
A detailed explainer for Felton property owners on how the Proposition 218 benefit assessment process works — how it differs from a parcel tax, how ballots are mailed and weighted, and what the legal requirements are. It also flags a critical deadline: under AB 2257, property owners who want to preserve their right to sue must file a written objection with the district by the July 24 public hearing, in addition to voting no on their ballot.
Felton Fire Assessment Would More than Double District Budget, Shift from Volunteer to Paid Staffing 5.2.2026
Felton Fire Protection District is seeking a $1.7 million annual benefit assessment that would more than double its budget — from roughly $1.1 million to $2.8 million — and convert the historically volunteer-based agency into a fully paid department, with the bulk of the new spending going toward salaries.
2025 Failed Parcel Tax Attempt
Details of Proposed Felton Fire Parcel Tax Remain Unclear 9.17.2025
A September 2025 Santa Cruz Local report covering an early stage of the Felton Fire tax debate, when the board had ruled out merging with another agency but had yet to finalize who would be taxed or how much. It describes the board’s internal disagreements — including one member’s call for more detailed spending information before a decision — as they weighed draft parcel tax measures with varying exemption levels.
Felton Fire Floats Parcel Tax to Save District 9.9.2025
A September 2025 Santa Cruz Local report covering the Felton Fire board’s initial consideration of a $700 annual parcel tax — requiring a two-thirds supermajority of registered voters — as a last-ditch effort to avoid merging with another agency, fund paid staff, and replace aging equipment. The article notes that adding low-income exemptions in response to community pushback could reduce revenue enough to undermine the staffing plan, and that failure at the ballot would likely force consolidation with Zayante Fire or CSA 48.
Report Urges Felton Fire to Consider Taxing Residents or Merging with Another District 8.6.2025
A Santa Cruz Local report covering the July 2025 LAFCO report that set the whole process in motion, finding that Felton Fire’s combination of pension debt, dwindling volunteers, and leadership instability left it unable to adequately serve its community. LAFCO ranked merging with a neighboring district as the top options and gave Felton Fire until October 6 to choose a path forward — with a new tax likely required under any scenario.
Opinion: Fire Back in the Hot Seat 5.30.2025
A May 2025 Press Banner opinion piece chronicling the internal turmoil that led to the abrupt end of Felton Fire’s contract with Ben Lomond Fire — including allegations of sexism toward Chief Stacie Brownlee, board dysfunction, and a string of firefighter resignations. It paints a picture of a district in crisis well before the tax debate began, with leadership instability and financial precarity leaving its future uncertain.
History of the Felton Fire Protection District
Felton Fire Protection District: A Local History of Volunteer Service and Growth
A historical piece tracing Felton Fire’s origins from informal volunteer response in the early 1930s through the department’s formal organization in 1935 — anchored by the Fetherston family’s land donation and New Deal labor — to its establishment as a California special district in 1947 and the completion of its permanent Kirby Street station in 1954.
Letters to the Editor
Letter: Prepare for Today’s Wildfires, Not Yesterday’s Departments
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