Sacramento's Measure O would turn to taxpayers to improve Metro Fire equipment and infrastructure
SACRAMENTO — Turning to taxpayers for much-needed improvements to equipment and infrastructure — that's what Measure O is all about on the ballot in Sacramento.
Parker Wilbourn, a Sacramento Metro Fire battalion chief, said the passing of Measure O will be pivotal for his department.
"We're at a defining moment in Metro Fire where we can continue to provide a high level of service, premium level of service, or we will face challenges moving forward to keep up with the service we do provide," he said.
According to Metro Fire, call volume has increased 40% in the last decade, but money to keep up with repairs and capital improvements hasn't. Measure O would bring in $415 million to improve infrastructure.
Wilbourn said that 73% of fire engines are nearing the end of their life span and many stations are too small for newer larger trucks.
"In [one of our stations], we have an ambulance that's positioned in the backyard because there is no space for it in the apparatus bay, and that's very consistent with a lot of our stations," he added.
Wilbourn explained that if an apparatus is out in the sun, its lifespan could be reduced "not only because we have an electrical component to it but also because there is a lot of equipment inside."
If passed, Measure O would mean $19 per $100,000 of assessed home value each year, or approximately $79 annually for the average home.
On the county voter guide, the Sacramento Taxpayers Association has both a rebuttal and argument against Measure O but said it is officially "neutral" in its stance, posing the question: "Why can't new equipment and building improvements be made with the current annual budget?"
Homeowners we caught up with said it's worth the extra expense.
"I'm comfortable enough with it," Sacramento resident Mary Migge said. "They work hard and they are representing our city here."
Business owner Bal Soin said it's the cost of doing business.
"Every two years, five years, ten years, you have to upgrade your equipment," Soin said. "If you have the labor force but not the equipment to use, it doesn't help."