Beginning in early December, Ventura county residents living in the State Responsibility Area will begin receiving bills for a newly imposed fire prevention fee from the State of California. According to the Ventura County Fire Department, the fee is supposed to provide a source of funding for the Cal Fire that is spent on fire prevention activities. The fire department and county have opposed the fee.
“We believe residents living within the SRA and within the jurisdiction of our department are already paying for fire protection and prevention,” Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said in a release. “In addition, we’ve managed our budget very carefully and we don’t require the funds being collected under this fee to provide these services to Ventura County residents.”
The State Responsibility Area includes state and privately owned land where Cal Fire has the primary financial responsibility for preventing and suppressing fire. In Ventura County, between 6,000 and 9,000 parcels may be subjected to the fee.
The State Board of Equalization will be collecting the fees. The fee is $150 per habitable structure, or building used for human habitation, per year.
To find out if a home is within the State Responsibility Area, visit www.bof.fire.ca.gov/sra_viewer.