Millbrae fire fee vote passes

“We so need this to continue fire services throughout the city,” Councilmember Gina Papan said. “This is a renewal, it’s really vital to maintaining critical services within the city.” 

The original February proposal of a 72% increase in fire fees was intended to keep pace with inflation and failed despite winning the popular vote by 53% because of the weighted nature of commercial property owner ballots, city officials said at the time.

The passage “signifies a collaborative effort between local authorities and the community to enhance firefighting capabilities and emergency response services,” a June 12 press release from the city said. 

Papan said 2,876 parcel owners submitted a vote, 426 more than the first vote. 

The success of the fire assessment is good news for the city, which was relying on the $1.8 million in revenue to maintain a balanced budget for the upcoming 2024-25 fiscal year. Without it, city officials said they would need to dip into the general fund to make up a city deficit.

The current assessment is set to expire June 30 and costs property owners $175 a year for single-family homes and $125 a year for multifamily homes. Hotels pay an assessment fee of around $7 per room, and offices and retail space pay under a cent per square foot.

Millbrae shares fire services with Burlingame and Hillsborough through the Central County Fire Department and the fee goes toward funding its share of the department that serves about 70,000 residents. Millbrae Mayor Anders Fund said when the city sent out ballots that maintaining an effective and high-quality fire and emergency service is important to keep home insurance affordable.

With the measure’s passage, the city approved an oversight committee to collaborate closely to ensure the efficient utilization of resources and the continual enhancement of fire protection measures.

“This is great news for the city. Thank you to our constituents for their support in passing the fire assessment, supporting our fire services, and putting the community’s safety first,” Fung said in a press release.