From:
To: Mary Gourley
Subject: No consolidation - public comment
Date: Monday, January 30, 2023 8:48:17 PM
Dear Council Members,
I have been a resident of Sebastopol for 10 years and I do not support the annexation of the Sebastopol Fire Department by the Gold Ridge District.
It is important not to lose local control of our fire service. If my taxes and our City budget are going to fund a fire service, I believe the residents should retain control over how the money is spent, how it is generated and how service is delivered.
I ask that the City Council commit to funding our Fire Department and commit to using vehicle replacement funds toward vehicle replacement.
There is no guarantee that the Gold Ridge Fire District will always vote and fund service to the benefit of Sebastopol's citizens. We would become a small voice in a much larger fire district and it is no guarantee that our voices would be heard, yet we would be funding the district through our City Budget and parcel tax.
There is no reason why we have to consolidate now. The Council should be slow to make this permanent change to our fire service; once we consolidate, we can't go back.
The Council should look at all the options, including ones by the current and former Fire Chief.
Please vote NO on annexation.
Thank you,
Lori Solomon