LATHROP – Mayor Kristy Sayles and Councilman Sonny Dhaliwal were appointed as city representatives to the 2x2 Lathrop-Manteca Fire District Committee during the council meeting held earlier this week.
The fire district has yet to name two people from its board of directors to meet with their city counterparts and start discussions about ways to generate money in support of the fiscally ailing fire district. The 2x2 committee was mentioned during the last fire board meeting but no step was taken to appoint their two representatives. No announcement has been made either as to when the committee will start their meetings and discussions, the dates of those meetings and where they will be held.
One possible revenue-generating avenue that was brought up at a previous council meeting was the introduction of a new Lathrop sales tax, with the money strictly earmarked for fire protection services in the incorporated city alone.
The 100 square miles serviced by the district include all of the incorporated areas of Lathrop and unincorporated county areas around both Lathrop and Manteca. Two of the district’s four stations are in Lathrop – the main station, Station #1 on J Street, and Station #4 built only about three years ago at Mossdale Landing. The other two are located on East Lathrop Road near New Haven School (Station #2), and at South Union Road near Nile Garden School (Station #3).
The fire district is funded by property taxes, so it has not been immune to the fiscal hemorrhaging plaguing just about every level of government and agencies nationwide in the wake of plunging property values caused by the mortgage meltdown.
At the last fire district meeting, Fire Chief Fred Manding said they are fortunate that they have had no need to lay off any staff – yet – or close any of the four stations. So far, the most drastic step that they have done to handle the budget deficit was to significantly pare down its overtime budget expenses and leaving vacant the positions held by retiring personnel.
The fire district was established in the mid 1930s to provide fire protection to approximately 100 square miles of geographical area that includes outlying rural areas around Manteca plus all of incorporated Lathrop.
The fire district is funded by property taxes, has not been immune to the fiscal hemorrhaging plaguing just about every level of government and agencies nationwide. Among the steps that the district has so far done to solve its budget deficit include significantly paring down its overtime budget expenses and not replacing positions left vacant by retiring personnel.
In addition to the prospect of a future local sales tax to beef up the city’s fire protection, the city council has also talked about a possible city fire department although, this has not been formally nor officially tabled by the council.
The fire district has yet to name two people from its board of directors to meet with their city counterparts and start discussions about ways to generate money in support of the fiscally ailing fire district. The 2x2 committee was mentioned during the last fire board meeting but no step was taken to appoint their two representatives. No announcement has been made either as to when the committee will start their meetings and discussions, the dates of those meetings and where they will be held.
One possible revenue-generating avenue that was brought up at a previous council meeting was the introduction of a new Lathrop sales tax, with the money strictly earmarked for fire protection services in the incorporated city alone.
The 100 square miles serviced by the district include all of the incorporated areas of Lathrop and unincorporated county areas around both Lathrop and Manteca. Two of the district’s four stations are in Lathrop – the main station, Station #1 on J Street, and Station #4 built only about three years ago at Mossdale Landing. The other two are located on East Lathrop Road near New Haven School (Station #2), and at South Union Road near Nile Garden School (Station #3).
The fire district is funded by property taxes, so it has not been immune to the fiscal hemorrhaging plaguing just about every level of government and agencies nationwide in the wake of plunging property values caused by the mortgage meltdown.
At the last fire district meeting, Fire Chief Fred Manding said they are fortunate that they have had no need to lay off any staff – yet – or close any of the four stations. So far, the most drastic step that they have done to handle the budget deficit was to significantly pare down its overtime budget expenses and leaving vacant the positions held by retiring personnel.
The fire district was established in the mid 1930s to provide fire protection to approximately 100 square miles of geographical area that includes outlying rural areas around Manteca plus all of incorporated Lathrop.
The fire district is funded by property taxes, has not been immune to the fiscal hemorrhaging plaguing just about every level of government and agencies nationwide. Among the steps that the district has so far done to solve its budget deficit include significantly paring down its overtime budget expenses and not replacing positions left vacant by retiring personnel.
In addition to the prospect of a future local sales tax to beef up the city’s fire protection, the city council has also talked about a possible city fire department although, this has not been formally nor officially tabled by the council.
