Westside

FIRE FEE: Some things in life are worth the money. For Malibu residents, fire protection is one of them, especially when two Los Angeles County fire stations protecting the region are on the budget chopping block.

So, it came as good news to city residents that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $19 increase in the annual fee that Malibu residents pay for county fire services--to $55 a year. The supervisors’ support for the increase kept county Fire Chief Michael Freeman from having to shut down two stations in the western part of Malibu, near Ventura.

The two stations were on a list of 14 stations in the county slated for possible closure. The county fire department, funded by a percentage of property tax revenue and fire protection fees, is facing budget shortfalls because of declining property values, officials said.

Although the decision to increase the fire protection fee was up to the supervisors, Malibu residents defended a higher fee during public hearings this summer. And, in mid-August, the Malibu City Council voted to support it.

Increasing the fire fee was the only alternative, said City Manager Dave Carmany: “When you think of Malibu, you think of wildfires--closing stations just isn’t an option.”