Soledad council OKs up to $50,000 to study parcel tax for fire services

The Soledad City Council voted unanimously to authorize up to $50,000 from general-fund operating reserves for professional services to explore a parcel tax dedicated to fire services.

City manager Megan said the funds would pay consultants to test messaging, conduct polling and prepare options should the council choose to place a parcel tax on a future ballot. She described the decision as a step to “initiate the parcel tax for the Soledad Fire Department,” not a vote to adopt a tax.

Megan told the council that Soledad contracted fire services to Cal Fire after the city dissolved its in-house department in 2011 and that the city owns the station and equipment while labor is paid through Cal Fire. She said it was increasingly difficult to absorb rising contract costs and that the city must plan for the state-recommended move to three firefighters per shift. “This parcel tax could generate over a million dollars annually for fire services,” Megan said when summarizing staff estimates and models.

Council members pressed staff on likely household impacts and outreach. Staff described an illustrative fee range used in other jurisdictions — roughly $220–$230 per single-family parcel per year in comparable cities — and emphasized that exact rates and the final structure would be set only after consultant analysis and community polling. Councilmember Cabrera asked how the potential tax would affect next year’s budget and whether it would disproportionately affect renters; staff noted that landlords might pass through some costs but said the city could not predict final impacts without further study.

The council and staff discussed procedural constraints. Megan reminded the council that a parcel tax would require a two-thirds vote of the electorate to pass and, if placed on the ballot, city officials would be subject to campaign restrictions and could not use city funds to promote the measure. Staff said the recommended consultants would design public education and outreach so voters could understand how any measure would be used and to test whether a ballot measure would be viable.

Council members said they favored robust outreach, including workshops and polling, before moving a measure to the ballot. After discussion, the council approved the funding authorization by unanimous vote. The resolution authorizes the budget amendment and consultant contracting to prepare options for the council’s later consideration.