State Fire Fee Approved

Big Bear, Ca, November 18, 2011, 3:00pm – Over the last few months the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has been against the proposed State Responsibility Area Fire Fee that would give residents of unincorporated mountain areas in California an extra fee of $150.00.  The board opposed the fee, as the fee was what they thought of as an illegal tax.  The fee was sent to a vote, and it was rejected, however recently Governor Brown placed new members on the board the item was sent to, and since then the fee was placed back on the agenda and was approved.  SB County Supervisors, including Big Bear’s Supervisor Neil Derry, expressed their outrage that the fee was approved.  “As I said all along, this illegal tax is a ruse to fill state coffers and will not provide any additional benefits to taxpayers,” Derry said. “Pick whatever euphemism for liars and thieves you want; it fits the actions of this administration to a tee.”  It is not certain when this new fee will be put into place.