By Mike Luery
A controversial crash tax is a form of “double taxation”. That’s what a Yolo County Grand Jury is saying about some fire fees for car accidents – and as it turns out the cash coming in is far less than what was promised.
When Woodland Fire trucks come to your assistance at the scene of an accident, you may be paying in more ways than one.
“They’re double dipping us and it’s not okay,” Woodland resident Enid Williams told CBS 13.
Enid Williams calls it double dipping because when homeowners are rescued from a wreck, they are charged up to $2500 for the cleanup – if they are found to be at fault. The insurance company gets the bill – but the claim is really against the homeowner. It’s double taxation, the Yolo County Grand Jury stated, because property owners already pay for emergency services.
“The city of Woodland is allowed to charge twice for the same emergency response by the Woodland Fire Department,” stated Kathleen Stock. The Yolo County Grand Jury Foreperson told CBS 13, “It’s inherently unfair. It essentially puts Woodland homeowners in a bull’s eye.”
Homeowners are the target here – because Woodland doesn’t send bills to renters – and others who lack home insurance. Fairness aside – the fire fees are falling far short of what was promised.
“The revenue estimates were a little bit high,” said Rick Sander, Woodland’s Interim Fire Chief.
Woodland expected to raise at least $167,000 from the crash tax per year, but ended up collecting instead” about $40,000 a year, “stated Art Pimentel. The Woodland Mayor told CBS 13. “It’s a little less than we had anticipated,” he conceded.
Actually it’s a lot less.
“Just looking at what the city projected to yield, compared to what they did yield, it was maybe 20%,” Kathleen Stock stated.
So with disappointing revenues – and dismayed homeowners, the Yolo County Grand Jury is urging Woodland to cancel the fire rescue fees.
“Is it time for us to look at this fee again? Absolutely,” said Woodland Mayor Art Pimentel in answering his own question. Pimentel then raised another one: “Is it time to look at the effectiveness and efficiency of it? Absolutely.”
Woodland resident Enid Williams wants immediate action. “If you’re already paying for something – you’re already paying for it,” Williams told CBS 13.
The Woodland City Council is set to take action on the crash tax on September 6th.
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2011/07/27/on-the-money-controversial-crash-tax/
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Its a form of “double taxation”. That's what a Yolo County Grand Jury is saying about some fire fees for car.
A controversial crash tax is a form of “double taxation”.
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