Napa County voters face wildfire prevention tax choice

USA – Napa County voters in the June 7 election face a burning question — should they boost the local sales tax by a quarter-cent on the dollar to try to help prevent mega-fires?

Voters will decide the fate of Measure L, with at least a two-thirds “yes” vote needed for it to pass. The tax is to last for 10 years and raise about $10 million annually. Money would go to Napa County and its cities and town for wildfire prevention.

Here are some Measure L questions and answers:

How did Measure L come about?

Local wildfires in 2017 and 2020 burned more than 1,500 local structures, with the Glass Fire destroying wineries, homes and resorts in the heart of Napa Valley wine country. The wine industry and many residents called on the Napa County Board of Supervisors to increase wildfire protection.

Meanwhile, the nonprofit Napa Communities Firewise Foundation became more active. The organization supports 17 fire safe councils in rural communities that work on fuel breaks and defensible space.

On April 6, 2021, the county Board of Supervisors held what amounted to a wildfire summit. There, Napa Firewise and Cal Fire unveiled the five-year, $42 million Napa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan that emphasized creating fuel breaks and managing vegetation.

As a result, the Board of Supervisors last year spent more than $7.5 million of county money on things ranging from fuel reduction to leasing a water-dropping helicopter.

But supervisors expressed wariness about sustaining that level of spending. On June 8, 2021, they authorized exploring the creation of a wildfire prevention sales tax.

Napa County in January brought its proposal to the mayors, fire chiefs and city managers. Local officials said one result was the cities — which are the sources of most sales tax — received a bigger share in a formula to split the revenues.

On March 8, the Board of Supervisors placed Measure L on the June 7 ballot.

How would Measure L revenues be split among the county and its cities and town?

For the first five years, Napa County would receive 75%, city of Napa 14.28%, American Canyon Fire Protection District 4.72% and Calistoga, St. Helena and Yountville each 2%.

These amounts would transition over time. By year nine, the breakdown would be Napa County 60%, city of Napa 26.56%, American Canyon Fire Protection District 7.44% and Calistoga, St. Helena and Yountville each 2%.

How could the money be spent?

A March 8 Board of Supervisors ordinance limits Measure L spending to items on an expenditure list. Some of the possibilities:

The county would get the lion’s share of Measure L money. What are its spending priorities?

“Every year we’ll have a choice of what we do, but the priority will be fuel reduction and leveraging Measure L money to get grants for even more fuel reduction,” county Board of Supervisors Chairperson Ryan Gregory said.

The county will look to the Napa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, he said.

Year two of the plan calls for almost $10 million in spending. Given the county’s annual Measure L share would be about $7.5 million, grants could also be needed.

Projects in the plan include reducing fuels near Monticello Road, which is an evacuation route. They include creating fuel breaks at the Veterans Home of California at Yountville and near Timberhill Park to help protect the city of Napa’s Browns Valley area.

How might the cities spend their money?

The city of Napa could receive about $1.4 million annually from the tax initially and $2.7 million by the end of the 10 years. How it would spend the money to help prevent wildfires remains to be decided.

Mayor Scott Sedgley said the city learned about the tax measure a few months ago. He noted the wildfire fuels are primarily in the unincorporated county, though the city of Napa would generate much of sales tax.

“We have to discuss it with the fire chief and the council and city manager to see how the money would be used in concert with the intent of the measure,” Sedgley said.

A possibility mentioned in the measure is protecting reservoirs in local mountains and their water quality. Sedgley said this would likely be a priority, adding the city does a lot of work already hardening its facilities in the rural county against fire.

American Canyon City Council members discussed possible Measure L spending on April 26 when they sat as the board for the American Canyon Fire Protection District. The city would initially receive about $470,000 annually.

Fire Chief Michael Cahill said the district couldn’t use Measure L money to add another engine company strictly for American Canyon. Spending must be associated with reducing wildland fire threats in the community and countywide.

Though he didn’t give specifics, he said the district can propose additional personnel and equipment that would meet these this standard.

Have other counties passed similar taxes?

In 2020, Marin County voters passed not a sales tax, but a parcel tax that provides $19 million annually for wildfire prevention. The county began looking at a tax after the 2017 fires burned in Napa and Sonoma counties.

Another example is Truckee, where voters last September passed a wildfire prevention property tax for the Truckee Fire Protection District.

What happens if Measure L doesn’t pass?

Gregory said he doesn’t know. The Napa County Board of Supervisors will have 2022-23 budget hearings the week after the June 7 election, when the decisions could be made. But, he said, the county doesn’t expect to have a budget surplus and would struggle to fund wildfire prevention.

What are some Measure L viewpoints?

Napa Mayor Scott Sedgley said he is skeptical of Measure L and cannot support it. He believes existing state and local taxes can fund the work.

American Canyon Mayor Leon Garcia at the April 26 American Canyon Fire Protection District meeting endorsed Measure L, which he called “essential.”

American Canyon doesn’t face the same degree of wildfire threat as Calistoga, Yountville and St. Helena. But when there’s a countywide emergency, all of the fire departments help. Businesses shutting down because of wildfires cause an economic impact for the city, he said.

American Canyon City Councilmember David Oro responded by saying he is skeptical about Measure L, though he acknowledged wildfires are a real threat.

“I think the state, particularly at this point and probably for the next few years, is wealthy enough to cover some of these (wildland) fires,” Oro said. “Putting a quarter-cent sales tax on us, it’s a tough thing for me to swallow.”

California recently announced it has close to a $100 billion budget surplus. Oro last week said that this news only strengthened his belief that the state can afford to help on wildfire prevention.

Last September, Napa Firewise secured a $5.8 million state grant from Cal Fire. It competed for a limited amount of grant money with other organizations statewide.

Gregory said Measure L would provide a dependable funding source year-after-year, even as state finances fluctuate. Measure L would make Napa County a “self-help” county for wildfire prevention, much as the Measure T half-cent sales tax brings in money for local road maintenance.

“We can’t delay doing these critical wildfire prevention projects,” he said.

Is the wildfire threat likely to grow worse in Napa County?

After the 1981 Atlas Peak Fire, Napa County went more than 35 years without a mega-fire destroying homes by the dozens. Then the 2017 and 2020 fires burned about half the county.

Only time will tell if the recent wildfire blitz is a fluke or a new way of life. But a recent report by First Street Foundation that looks at wildfire risk nationwide predicts the latter.

Its wildfire risk model shows Napa County has second-greatest risk for increased wildfires out of 58 California counties, after Sonoma County. The report said 20,300 Napa County properties have a .03% risk of being in a wildfire this year. That will grow to 40,700 properties in 30 years.

Who is paying for the Measure L campaign?

Taxpayers for Fire Prevention Supporting Measure L had raised almost $150,000 as of May 13, according to papers filed with the county Registrar of Voters.

Napa Valley Vintners was the biggest donor at $25,000. Donors include a number of vintners, Napa County Farm Bureau and Land Trust of Napa County.