A group of homeowners on Mare Island in Vallejo say they're being forced to pay an extra tax that gets them nothing in return. They'll be pleading their case at a budget hearing on Tuesday and, there's a surprising amount of sympathy coming from City Hall.
Vallejo took over Mare Island Naval Shipyard in about 2000, and five years later homebuilder Lennar constructed 322 new houses. To pay for police and fire protection, the city and developer agreed on a special tax, called a Community Facilities District, or CFD.
But the tax didn't go away. It's been 18 years now and homeowners on Mare Island are collectively paying more than $3 million each year in addition to their normal property taxes. "So, for me this is personal," said Grimm."Every time I write those taxes that I'm paying for something that we don't get, it reminds me of everything I lost."
"It's clear that you're being treated unfairly for services that you do not get," said Councilmember Cristina Arriola. "How are we justifying some of these charges and fees?" he asked city staff."And if we cannot defend them, then I think we have some vulnerability as a city."
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