Town fire department would shrink GVFD's size

GREEN VALLEY--The Sahuarita Town Council will hold a public meeting Tuesday to discuss the possibility of starting a town fire department, an option that could affect homeowners in both Green Valley and Sahuarita.

If the town were to create its own fire department, it would mean the Green Valley Fire District (GVFD) would shrink, as it would lose Quail Creek, the Bashas'/Wal-Mart shopping center and other areas in southern Sahuarita that are currently in the district.

For the district, that would mean a loss of $257,000 a year in property tax revenues, plus the prospect of capturing future revenues from the planned Wal-Mart Super-Center, Madera Marketplace and other growth areas.

That loss could have an impact on taxpayers in the fire district, though it is not clear at this point whether it would be a major one, as the district tax base continues to grow.

The creation of a town fire department would provide, possibly as soon as January 2007, an additional mutual aid partner for GVFD, which could benefit the district and homeowners, especially those in the northern part of Green Valley.

For the town, creating a fire district would mean a resolution to the uncertainty created when Rural/Metro announced it would stop renewing subscriptions south of Camino Antigua, roughly at the northern end of Anamax Park.

That withdrawal left Rural/Metro providing subscription fire service to fast-growing Rancho Sahuarita, Rancho Resort and other areas north of Camino Antigua, while GVFD remains in Quail Creek, Bashas'/Wal-Mart and the rest of southern Sahuarita.

GVFD has offered to renew the expiring Rural/Metro subscriptions to those in the middle of town.

Town Manager Jim Stahle asked staff to draw up a report on the costs and timetable for starting a town department and released the report to Town Council members the first week of January.

An additional story on the town report will follow in Wednesday's Sahuarita Sun.

The fire report was to be posted on the town Web site, www.ci.sahuarita.az.us, at this Web page: http://www.ci.sahuarita.az.us /PDFs/fire_dept_report.pdf.

The Town Council meeting where the report will be discussed is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Anamax Park, 17501 Camino de Las Quintas.

Property tax

Also on the agenda is discussion of placing on the ballot for the May 17 election a proposal to establish the town's first-ever property tax, at a rate of $1.75 per $100 assessed valuation.

That tax would be intended to pay for for fire protection, though in fact the town council could allocate it for any purpose. Tuesday's agenda also includes an unrelated measure to extend an existing liquor license at Quail Creek.

GVFD board chair Ed Clarke said in an email "Mr. Stahle's report provides an adequate framework for the town council and its residents to make a judgment as to whether they wish to proceed with the creation of a town fire department.

By any objective measure, this would be a formidable challenge and an expensive undertaking.

"Should the town elect not to proceed, the Green Valley Fire District in concert with its Rural/Metro partner would continue to provide the town with all the first-rate fire and emergency medical services the town requires," Clarke said.

If the town voters do not approve a property tax, or some revenue source, such as an increase in sales tax, the town might ask the GVFD to annex the entire town, which would require the approval of town voters and also town property owners.

The town council in 2004 invited GVFD to annex north as far as Camino Antigua, in order to insure there is fire protection in that central section of town, but the council later balked at approving the district's annexation plan.

More resources

If GVFD were to annex the entire town, the district may have to find additional resources, as it is currently only equipped to serve as far north as Camino Antigua, and that effort could impact GVFD taxpayers.

Clarke said he has been asked by Stahle about the possibility of GVFD annexing the town and Clarke has asked Chief Simon Davis to investigate the possibility.

Stahle's report said, "The Town will need time to start its own fire department. In order to allow enough time to properly set up a fire department and begin generating property tax revenues, we will need to temporarily rely on other service providers.

"Realistically, if the Town Council within the next six months directed the creation of a Town Fire Department, the target date to have it become fully operational would be January 1, 2007. This is because of the time required to generate revenues, hire staff, purchase equipment and set up facilities.

"Additionally, we need to provide at least six months notice to the Green Valley Fire District (GVFD) and Rural Metro that we will be starting a fire department. At that time the Town could contract with both entities to provide fire services until the Town department is operational.

"Once the SFD [Sahuarita Fire Department] is fully functional it would be mutually beneficial to enter into both Mutual Aid and Automatic Aid Agreements with other capable fire agencies in the immediate area (e.g. GVFD, Tohono O'odham, Tucson Fire Department, etc.).

"During the transition period (calendar year 2006) it would be most appropriate for the Town to contract with both the Green Valley Fire District and Rural Metro. Starting in January 2006 Rural Metro would no longer collect subscriptions for service within the Town and the Green Valley Fire District would no longer levy their property tax within the Town limits. The Town would need to make up for their loss of this revenue and pay these entities for providing the service to the Town.

"Both agencies have been contacted about this possibility and they both verbally indicated their willingness to consider such an arrangement to help the Town get started in the fire service," the report continued.

pfranchine@gvnews.com | 625-5511 x 28