Measure S – Scotts Valley Fire bond
Voters in the Scotts Valley Fire Protection District will consider approval of $24.5 million in bonds with Measure S in the Nov. 5 election.
Jump to a section:
What is Measure S?
- Measure S proposes the sale of $24.5 million in bonds for Scotts Valley Fire.
- Each property owner in the fire district would pay an average of $110 per year, or $17 per $100,000 of assessed property value, over about 30 years, according to the measure’s proponents.
- The bond money would help pay for a new fire station to replace a decades-old facility on Erba Lane that would be unsafe in an earthquake, Scotts Valley Fire leaders said.
The bond requires more than 66% voter approval, unless California Proposition 5 passes in the Nov. 5 election. If Prop. 5 passes, Measure S could be approved with 55% of the vote.
Measure S bond money could be used to:
- Repair the existing fire stations or build a new one.
- Repair or replace Scotts Valley Fire administrative offices.
- Buy land for a new station or administrative offices
Bond money could not be used for Scotts Valley Fire salaries or benefits.
The district includes land in and around Scotts Valley, including areas that were served by Branciforte Fire Protection District before the districts merged in late 2023.
Property values are typically assessed when a home is sold, and a property’s assessed value is nearly always less than its market value.
Who will vote on Measure S?
Voters in Scotts Valley Fire Protection District will vote on Measure S. Scotts Valley Fire merged with Branciforte Fire Protection District in December 2023.
(Scotts Valley Fire Protection District)
What does a “yes” vote mean?
A “yes” vote would authorize a new property tax within Scotts Valley Fire Protection District to pay for $24,500,000 in bonds.
What does a “no” vote mean?
A “no” vote would not authorize a new property tax or bond.
Things to consider about Measure S
Scotts Valley Fire serves at least 24,000 people across about 30 square miles. The district straddles Highway 17 roughly from Highway 1 in the south to Glenwood Drive in the north. The district is separate from the City of Scotts Valley and is governed by a five-member board of directors. Most of its money comes from property taxes.
The district has two fire stations: one originally built in the early 1960s on Erba Lane, and one built in the early 2000s on Glenwood Drive. With the Measure S money, fire district leaders hope to build a new fire station on 6000 La Madrona Drive near the Hilton Hotel, then sell the aging Erba Lane facility.
Scotts Valley Fire has long planned to move from the Erba Lane property to the La Madrona site. The district bought the property in 2001.
While the Glenwood Drive station covers the northern portion of the district, the Erba Lane property is more centrally located. Moving to the La Madrona site would reduce response times in the southern end of the district, said Scotts Valley Fire District Chief Mark Correira.
Efforts to build a new facility stepped up in 2022, after a seismic evaluation found that the Erba Lane station could be seriously damaged in an earthquake. Part of the brick building was “built by volunteers with their hands,” Correira said. “It’s all non-reinforced. It’s not built on a foundation.”
“Our biggest fear is that if we have an earthquake, it’s possible that we won’t be able to respond to the community because the building has fallen down on [a fire engine] or the firefighters,” he said.
Seismic upgrades alone could cost $5 million, according to a 2022 consultant’s report. Repair and retrofitting could cost half the cost of replacing the facility, and wouldn’t provide the additional necessary space, according to another report from 2019.
Parts of the station are 60 years old, and the building has “reached the end of its useful life,” according to the 2019 report.
If voters approve Measure S, Scotts Valley Fire could break ground on the La Madrona property in 2025 and move into the new station in 2026, Correira said.
There is no organized opposition to Measure S, and no official ballot measure against it filed with the county clerk.
A proposed Scotts Valley Fire station on La Madrona Drive would include more space for fire engines, equipment repair and living quarters. (RRM Design Group)
A proposed Scotts Valley Fire station on La Madrona Drive would replace the Erba Lane station and include a separate administration building. (RRM Design Group)
Prior ballot measures in Scotts Valley Fire District
In November 2023, Scotts Valley Fire held a special election for Measure W, which would have approved a $22.24 million bond for a new station on La Madrona. The bond needed 66.67% approval, and fell 12 votes short.
The Measure S bond seeks $24.5 million, which is $2.3 million higher than the one proposed last year. However, the property tax is about $10 lower per $100,000 of assessed value. The tax dropped because more taxpayers were added to the Scotts Valley Fire District in December 2023 when Scotts Valley Fire merged with Branciforte Fire Protection District.
Measure S ballot text
To improve 911 response times, maintain lifesaving emergency medical services, strengthen wildfire protection and prevention, and construct a seismically safe and strategically located station to ensure operations during a disaster; shall the Scotts Valley Fire Protection District measure issuing $24,500,000 in bonds at legal rates, levying approximately $17 per $100,000 of assessed valuation, generating $1,700,000 annually while bonds are outstanding be authorized, requiring citizens’ oversight, and all funds spent locally?
More information on Measure S
- Measure S full text, impartial analysis and ballot arguments
- Measure S resolution
- Scotts Valley Fire Protection District website
Other Scotts Valley area elections
- District 5 Santa Cruz County supervisor
- Scotts Valley City Council
- Scotts Valley Unified School District
- Measure O – Scotts Valley Unified school bond
- Measure X – Scotts Valley business tax
–Jesse Kathan