Editorial: Ross' Firehouse Friends Must Clarify Funding Sources

The Debate Over Reopening the Ross Firehouse

The effort to bring back the firetruck and crew to the old Ross firehouse has sparked a significant debate among residents and local officials. While supporters of the initiative have simplified the question, there remains a critical issue that needs to be addressed: how will the town afford the cost of repairing and upgrading the station and maintaining a 24/7 team of firefighters?

It's easy to ask voters if they want a firehouse closer to their homes, especially when well-staffed and well-equipped stations in Kentfield and San Anselmo are also nearby. However, the financial implications of reopening the Ross firehouse are far more complex.

In 2021, the Ross Town Council made the decision to close the firehouse after months of study and deliberation. It’s worth noting that one of the Ross Valley Fire Department’s paramedic ambulances is still stationed at the town hall complex. Despite this, the council has continued with its plan to close the station, including selling the town’s 20-year-old fire engine.

A citizens group called Friends of Ross Firehouse is now circulating a petition that requires 175 signatures to bring the issue to town voters. The group argues that the decision is too important to be left to the votes of three council members. So far, they have collected over 100 signatures and plan to present residents with a design and new cost figures for repairing and reopening the firehouse.

The town estimates that renovating the firehouse—bringing it up to modern-day codes and requirements and protecting it from flooding—could cost more than $28 million. For a small town like Ross, even one with a wealthy population, this is a substantial sum. Supporters of the petition claim they are re-evaluating the town’s numbers, but the question of how the town would cover these costs remains unanswered.

Some suggest that voters might be willing to tax themselves to fund the project if they believe it’s essential. However, if the council had believed it had the necessary funds to fix the building and staff the station, it likely wouldn’t have voted to close it in 2021. The proximity of the San Anselmo and Kentfield stations, along with the presence of a paramedics team in Ross, were factors in the decision.

For voters to make an informed decision before signing the petition, they need to understand how the town plans to pay for the renovation and the return of the engine team. If the backers intend to staff the firehouse with a two-person engine team, they may face challenges with the firefighters' union, which maintains that any response team of fewer than three is unsafe.

It seems that crucial research and information won’t be available to voters before they are asked to sign the petition. The petition appears to address only part of the question surrounding this decision, which is not unusual for such initiatives.

Supporters argue that the decision should not be left to the council, but it’s important to recognize that those five elected officials were chosen to make tough decisions. The petition sets the stage for extending an already long-debated issue.

Ultimately, the fate of the Ross firehouse may depend on answers to the question of how the town can afford both short- and long-term costs. A majority of the council, in deciding to close the station, had already considered these issues.

Initiatives and referenda allow voters to question and reverse decisions made by elected bodies. Last year, these tools were used to resolve debates over rent control. The civic spirit of the Ross firehouse petition backers is commendable, but it would be better to have clear answers to important questions before asking people to sign the petition.