Supervisors Take Step Toward New County Fire Tax : Firefighters: The levy would increase bills by $13.99 for 2.7 million residents. A public hearing is July 25.

Los Angeles County supervisors on Tuesday took the first step toward adding a fire protection tax to the property tax bills of 2.7 million residents in 50 cities and many of the unincorporated regions in the county.

On a 3-1 vote, with Supervisor Mike Antonovich dissenting, the board set a public hearing on the issue for July 25. If the tax is approved by the board, $13.99 would be added to property tax bills in the fall.

The amount could rise to $55.96 at any time during the next 20 years to cover additional expenses, according to the proposal. Apartment and commercial building owners would pay more, up to $561 and $1,176 respectively, depending on the size of their structures.

In 1978, Proposition 13 limited the amount by which property taxes could rise. But state law allows taxes for vital public services to be collected through formation of assessment districts.

The proposed fire assessment district would include Lancaster, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village, Calabasas and Malibu.

Already, the Fire Department has launched a public relations campaign.

In a video being distributed to cities and community groups, County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman describes the $13.99 assessment as “$1.25 a month . . . about the price of half a gallon of milk and just as healthy.”

The department also will start a telephone hot line Monday to answer questions about the tax. Grafton said the hot line would be staffed by injured firefighters and volunteers so as not to hinder fire prevention efforts.

After Tuesday’s vote, Antonovich said fire protection services should be financed from existing property tax revenues. He asked the County Fire Department to explain before or during the July hearing why that is not possible.

“If it can be shown that property taxes really aren’t enough, that’s one thing,” he said. “But I fear that this proposal is a means to create an additional fund for fire while the property taxes go to health and welfare and other things.”

Representatives of the Fire Department said that, by law, only 17 cents out of each property tax dollar can go to the Consolidated Fire Protection District, the division of the department that protects the 50 cities and the unincorporated areas.

Without the $15.3 million that the new tax would add to the district’s proposed $266-million 1991-92 budget, five fire stations and three engine companies would have to close, they said.

“We’re going to degrade the level of service that people have come to expect,” Grafton said.

The tax would allow the department to restore 48 firefighter positions left vacant in January after a $4.1-million revenue shortfall was predicted, and to hire up to 50 firefighters to expand coverage of high-growth areas such as Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valley.

Homeowner representatives have said the request is poorly timed, following imposition of a 5% utility users tax and a garbage-disposal tax in unincorporated areas, and regional assessments for roads and schools. Their opinions matter, because if protest letters are received from people who would have paid at least 5% of the anticipated $15.3 million, by law supervisors could not approve the tax.