(Credit: Wikimedia)
Alpine Fire Protection District’s (AFPD’s) board has voted to increase the district’s benefit fee by 2 percent, 32 cents a year.
With the approval of voters, fire districts are authorized to collect a benefit charge from residential and business property owners.
It is a fee based on the benefit of having fire protection. These benefits include lower fire insurance costs, which are passed on to the homeowner.
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The district can raise the benefit fee based on the annual Consumer Price Index determined for the San Diego area by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Since the benefit fee was approved by Alpine voters in 2001, the fire board has approved two fee increases, raising it 3.19 percent in 2008 and 2.7 percent in 2012.
Formed in 1957, the AFPD has 17 paid employees and an annual $3.2 million operating budget.
The district covers about 27.5 miles, serving a population of about 15,000.
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