KELSEYVILLE— Hopes for the construction of a new Kelseyville Fire Protection District (KFPD) station along the Soda Bay corridor were dashed as Measure A failed to pass in a mailed-in, non-polled special election.
Election Consultant Kenneth Mostern, of MK Election Services, provided the preliminary results in a letter to the KFPD Board of Directors after the MK team completed counting the votes on Dec. 22, 2021. Measure A received 998 “yes” votes and 1,134 “no” votes. The measure needed two-thirds of the 2,145 ballots submitted to pass. Among the ballots submitted, 11 were rejected and two were blank.
Mostern summarized the election process implemented for Measure A. MK Elections mailed ballots to 7,289 voters on Nov. 8, 2021. As many as 1,177 were sent in error to registration addresses instead of mailing addresses, which resulted in the resending of ballots 10 days later. In early December, MK Elections sent another 50 ballots to voters who were added to the list of qualified voters, bringing the total number of qualified voters to 7,342. Voters returned their ballots to a post office box in Kelseyville or dropped off at a ballot box at the KFPD Main Street headquarters. The ballots were signature-matched by the Registrar of Voters and subsequently turned over to the MK Elections canvassing board the morning of Dec. 22, 2021.
As part of their process, Mostern said, MK Elections tracked the undeliverable ballots and sent out replacement ballots after the voters filled out the attestation required by law. Voters were given a hotline number to call to request replacement ballots. MK Elections authenticated the ballots and ensure that no voter submitted more than one ballot.
Mostern said an estimated 150 ballots “remain at large for the purpose of curing” because they either have not yet been signature-matched, lack the required signature on the return envelope, or their signature does not match what’s on file on their voter record with the Registrar of Voters. Mostern’s letter indicates MK Elections will complete the tally and certify the count when the canvass reopens on Jan. 4, 2022. Until then, the election record has been signed and sealed by the canvassers, and is in district custody.
Measure A voters had the option of voting “yes” or “no” to a two-part question. “Yes” meant the KFPD would form a community facilities district to levy special taxes on properties within district boundaries and authorize a bond issuance in the amount of $4 million. The tax funds would finance the construction of a new station on the Soda Bay corridor as well as staffing and purchase of an engine and ambulances for the new station. The proposed tax model would include a range of $122 to $175 for residential properties; $175 to $870 for vacant, non-agricultural acreage; $87 to $435 for agricultural land; $370 to $1,740 for non-residential buildings; and $175 per acre for non-residential resort properties.
In meetings leading up to the election, KFPD Chief Joe Huggins indicated having a third fire station would improve the district’s “availability, capability and operational effectiveness.” It would help reduce response times, allow for coverage when other personnel are out on call, and potentially cut down the cost of homeowners’ insurance, if the proposed station were located within five miles of homeowners in the area.
Another goal is the replacement of inadequate equipment. “Every year, we put a lot of miles on our ambulances and engines especially during fire season,” Huggins added. “Our type 3 wildland engine was gone almost two months last year…If the equipment is dilapidated, there goes your response time. If breaking down, no response at all… these guys and gals need to have safe equipment. If my employees are safe, that makes you folks safe.”
Cost estimates included $2.4 million for new fire station construction and equipment, $200,000 for annual debt service and administrative costs, and $1.2 million for staffing costs.
Mostern’s letter can be viewed in full on the district’s website, https://kelseyvillefire.com/measure-a-information.
