Unfortunately the above article and the Town of Atherton both rely on a document regarding property tax allocation that fails to show its methodology and also has inaccurate figures.

This problem has been repeatedly pointed out to the Town but they prefer the HdL fairy tale.

Here is a much better explanation of the property tax allocation of the Fire District:

Web Link

Peter - no disrespect intended, but this report appears to have been crafted for you, not independent of you. That said, the report does paint the picture, but I still fail to see the solution. Please add on to your comments so we have a better idea of what the recommendation you propose.

The Menlo Fire report appears to explain how we "got here", but does not justify the inequity in the allocation. Bottom line: the fire district gets a LOT of money because of the Prop 13 allocation.

Because Atherton has larger properties and enormous valuations, they fund a good chunk of the district. The result is a higher cost per capita for Atherton residents.

And, yes, it does seem the Menlo Fire report was crafted at Carpenter's request and comes off as defensive.

FYI the Roy above is NOT Roy Thiele-Sardina.....Me

" the fire district gets a LOT of money because of the Prop 13 allocation. "

All of these agencies started at the same point post Prop 13 as did the Fire District with a share of property tax revenues that exactly matched their relative pre Prop 13 revenue levels - most allowed their expenses to grow faster than their revenues.

The problem is that the Fire District is a well managed public agency that lives within its property tax revenues, has not added personnel which exceed its known revenues, budgets and funds for replacement of stations and apparatus, has funded reserves for future CalPERS assessments and for economic downturns, has low unfunded pension obligations and no parcel tax.

Other agencies who have not practiced this fiscal discipline look at the Fire District and apply the Willie Sutton Rule -"I rob banks because that is where the money is."