Senator Doug LaMalfa is joining other state legislators today to introduce a bill to repeal a State Responsibility Fire Tax that was included in the state budget that Governor Jerry brown approved for the 2011-12 fiscal year.  Fees of up to $150 per year could be tacked on to mostly rural area property owners, although there has been some discussion of reducing that amount for property owners who already pay assessments to local fire districts.  Senator LaMalfa says the assessment is an illegal tax because it was passed without being approved by voters or two thirds of the state legislature.

“It’s the right way to go because we would rather just get the thing repealed instead of spending a bunch of time and effort in court on litigating this thing which is inevitably going to happen as soon as the first person receives a bill for additional tax on their property.”

Republican legislators today are introducing Assembly Bill 1506 which if passed would repeal the SRA Fire Fee. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is joining the legislators in the push to repeal the fee with the introduction of AB 1506.