Deputies Object to Fire Board’s Plan

Turning up the heat in a battle over scarce public funding, about 100 Orange County sheriff’s deputies showed up at a county Fire Authority board meeting Thursday and criticized a proposed ballot initiative that would shift some Sheriff’s Department funding to firefighters.

The show of force by members of the Assn. of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs came less than a week after the firefighters union announced plans to pursue what its members say is their fair share of public safety funding through a countywide vote in November.

Firefighters say they have been unfairly shut out of proceeds from a 1993 statewide proposition that increased the sales tax by 0.5% and was intended to support fire and police agencies. Each year since voters approved Proposition 172, the Orange County Board of Supervisors has sent 80% of the county’s allocation -- more than $1 billion so far -- to sheriff’s deputies and 20% to the district attorney.

The union that represents 750 sworn members of the Orange County Fire Authority wants voters to force the supervisors to give firefighters half of any future increase in Proposition 172 revenue -- with a lifetime cap of 10% of the money.

Sheriff’s deputies oppose the proposed initiative because they say any increase in sales tax revenue would simply help the department keep pace with inflation and because the county has said it does not have another source of revenue for the department.

They noted that the Sheriff’s Department lost one revenue source in 1993 when the state diverted property tax to fund education, while fire departments continued to receive their full share of property tax money.

Wayne Quint, president of the deputies union, said the deputies he represents were furious about the proposed initiative. He said deputies wanted to let the Fire Authority’s board of directors know that the initiative would have significant impact on the department. He warned the authority’s board that deputies would oppose the plan.

“This is going to create an eternal rift between fire and law enforcement,” Quint said after the meeting. “It’s terribly frustrating. We should be pulling together. This irresponsible Fire Authority board has made the decision to pull us apart.”

The Fire Authority board previously approved spending $100,000 to study voter support for the initiative. Under state law, the board cannot spend any more public money on the proposal. Instead, the firefighters union is supporting the initiative.

Dana Point Councilman James V. Lacy, a member of the Fire Authority board, said he believed the sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices could find a way to make up any money they might lose because of the initiative.

Firefighters say the initiative would not reduce the sheriff’s budget; it would simply give the Fire Authority a share of any future increase in sales tax revenue.

“The only thing we’re doing is reaffirming what the voters decided,” said Dan S. Young, vice president of the Orange County Professional Firefighters Assn. “It’s not a personal issue against the sheriffs. No one is talking about reducing the sheriff’s budget at all.”