Woodbridge Fire District approves tax measure for ballot
After months of looking into possible solutions for their budget issues, the Woodbridge Rural Fire Protection District Board of Directors on Friday voted 5-0 to approve a measure for a special tax that will be added to the ballot for November’s general election.
“Our sole funding source is through property taxes and fees that might be applied to new development. That’s our only revenue source,” Board President Richard Gerlack said. “There hasn’t been much development in the past few years, and what little there has been is usually tax-exempt like churches.”
Woodbridge Fire’s revenue began decreasing when the 2008 economic downturn lowered property values in the county, Gerlack said. And in 2011, the district began withdrawing from their capital reserves, which the board determined was an insufficient source of long-term revenue.
After exploring alternative solutions, Gerlack said the board found the proposed tax to be their best option to fund the district’s four stations in Woodbridge, Lodi and Acampo serving a 192-square-mile area including 10 square miles to the north of Woodbridge and 118 square miles to the west.
If approved in November by two-thirds of the voters, an annual tax of $.035 per square foot of all buildings under roof lines such as multi-story buildings, covered areas without walls, garages and unheated storage rooms or attachments such as covered decks, Gerlack said, along with a flat tax of $50 per year on parcels of land without buildings.
All revenue will be used to pay for fire prevention, suppression and emergency response services, Gerlack said. A five-person volunteer oversight committee appointed by the board will ensure that the money is spent properly until the tax expires after 10 years.
“One of the things that we’re trying to do is make a greater effort to listen to people and find out what issues are important to them,” he said. “We recognized that we can’t solve every problem by ourselves, that we need to work with public, and work with nonprofit organizations and other government agencies to solve problems.”
Martinelli said that tackling homelessness in the county requires addressing mental health, substance abuse, housing shortages and the willingness on the part of an individual homeless person to get out of their situation and follow societal rules.
“The criminal justice system can come into play when someone commits a crime, but we have to address all of these components of the problem to really solve it,” he said.
The district attorney’s office is establishing a program called LEAD, which is in the beginning stages and is being piloted in Stockton, Martinelli said.
Eventually the program, which is a partnership between police, the district attorney’s office and social services, will come to Lodi.
As part of the program, local police, accompanied by Martinelli and a social worker, will make contact with homeless people who have committed crimes such as trespassing or urinating in
“Lodi Police have been wonderful, and they have been working with me to try to implement this innovative approach to prosecution. Working with them has been great.” ROBERT MARTINELLI, SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
public, and afford them the opportunity to seek services in lieu of charges.
“The social worker would basically have this person on their caseload and would ensure that they go to their mental health counseling if needed or drug treatment if needed and help them to get housing and job training if they can,” Martinelli said. “They would work with them on a daily and weekly basis to make sure that they are doing the things that they need to do to get out of their situation.”
If a person is uncooperative, law enforcement would be contacted and a decision would be made about whether to pursue criminal charges or seek alternative solutions.
Martinelli plans to work with Lodi police, community organizations and businesses to make contact with the homeless that may be breaking the law.
One organization that Martinelli looks forward to working with is Take Back Lodi.
“Take Back Lodi is a great example of the public taking initiative and working to solve a problem,” Martinelli said. “They have done an outstanding job of trying to clean up the community and making things better. I plan on working with them a lot closer to collaborate our efforts to do better.”
Lodi Police Capt. Sierra Brucia said that Martinelli has proven to be a great asset in the effort to improve the homeless situation in Lodi and solve other community problems.
“We’re actually very excited for him to be here,” Brucia said. “We’re actually providing him with some office space here in the police department to work, and some of our officers and supervisors have already been working with him over the last couple of months.”
Martinelli has been very attentive to police needs and has assisted them with problem areas around the city, Brucia said.
“Lodi Police have been wonderful, and they have been working with me to try to implement this innovative approach to prosecution. Working with them has been great,” Martinelli said
Martinelli is also hosting “Coffee with a Cop and a Deputy DA” the first Monday of the month at Tillie’s, located at 21 W. Pine St. in Downtown Lodi, from 9 to 10 a.m.
“It’s an opportunity for the public to come and approach us in an informal environment and let us know what’s on their mind,” Martinelli said.
Martinelli is also working to employ a top-five offender program along Cherokee Lane, and business owners and members of the community will be able to identify the top five worst offenders that are victimizing the businesses and residents in that area.
“It’s a great way to work with the community to solve the problems that the businesses are bringing to our attention,” Martinelli said.
Martinelli wants those with concerns or questions to call him at 209-406-7448 or email him at