Lafayette Considers Fire District De-annexation

By Lance Howland

As one deal falls apart, the whispers about another deal grow louder.

With votes by a couple of boards this week, the deal is clearly breaking down for the idea of two fire agencies teaming up to jointly operate a fire station on the Lafayette-Orinda border. That leaves more residents talking about the potential of the city of Lafayette moving from its membership in ConFire (the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District) into a partnership with the Moraga-Orinda Fire District.

In the latter case, it would mean a Lamorinda focus for an enlarged district.

In that context, Patch posed a few questions by email to Lafayette City Manager Steve Falk about the potential for Lafayette to make such a shift.

Patch: What can you tell us about the potential of Lafayette shifting from one fire district to another?

Falk: The delivery of fire services in Lafayette is not in the City Council’s scope of responsibility but instead lies squarely with the (county) Board of Supervisors. That said, if the Board continues to degrade and diminish the services provided to Lafayette and/or if Lafayette residents wind up paying significantly more in taxes to the Fire District than they receive in services from that District, then I will expect the City Council to explore options to de-annex from ConFire and discuss service provision alternatives.

Patch: Has the City Council already discussed it?

Falk: The Council has had this item on the last couple of agendas and discussed it in the public forum.  

Patch: Is it coming up on a future council agenda?

Falk: Yes. It has been added to the end of tonight’s (Thursday's) (Mount Diablo Boulevard) median island meeting.

Patch: Is anyone checking into the procedures and legalities of such a shift and what would be the timetable?

Falk: We’ve done some early work. It would probably take up to or more than two years to de-annex from ConFire.