Page 6 - Mid Valley Times 2-27-20 E-edition

PORTERVILLE Continued from page A1
It was just before 5 p.m. on Feb. 18 when re- ports of a structure fire at the library were made.
Figueroa and Jones were part of the city’s Engine 71 crew and some of the first to arrive on scene.
According to scan- ner traffic from that day, a woman in a wheel- chair was believed to be trapped inside the build- ing.
The pair made entry to search for the woman, and became engulfed inside the smoke-filled building.
A “mayday” call was made from Figueroa not
ELECTION Continued from page A1
est — over the next 35 years. Supporters claim that the funds are des- perately needed to en- sure that children are learning in safe, up-to- date classrooms while opponents claim the measure will almost dou- ble the limit of money school districts can bor- row and cause a large spike in property taxes.
Then, there are four interesting local tax and bond measures among 11 in Fresno County (and part of Tulare County) that will be de- cided respectively by voters in Reedley, Parli- er, Orange Cove and in the Cutler-Orosi Joint School District region.
Here are brief cap- sules on the four mea- sures, and the vote level
Courtesy Porterville FD
Capt. Ray Patrick Figueroa Jones
long after. He was quick- ly located and pulled from the building but died en route to the hospital.
Jones was unaccount- ed for following a partial roof collapse. His body was recovered on Feb. 19.
“Craig Pitts and my- self, we spent a whole week with Ray on the Kincade Fire on strike team,” said Andy Jones.
needed for passage:
MEASURE B: Reedley Public Safety & Vital City Services Measure
• (Needs 50 percent plus one vote to pass) — City officials say the three-quarter cent in- crease in transactions and use (sales) tax is estimated to generate up to $1.5 million annu- ally to be used for es- sential city services and programs emphasized by residents during a community survey con- ducted in 2019. These services and programs include maintaining 911 emergency response times, police protec- tion, fire protection, neighborhood patrols, anti-gang and drug pro- grams, homelessness outreach, street and sidewalk repairs, storm drain repair and other infrastructure mainte-
“In fact, we had both been studying for the captains exam while we were up there, we sat up on a hill one night and studied for a couple hours.”
“I got to know him pretty well, it’s just sad how fast it can go,” he continued. “We were both on the same path in our careers.”
Preliminary investi- gations led detectives to a couple of 13-year- old boys who were seen running from the build- ing moments after the fire.
The teens have been charged with two counts of murder, with special circumstances of multiple murders and arson-relat- ed charges.
Juanita Adame / Mid Valley Times
The Sanger Fire Department’s Engine 121 responded to a call in Porterville on the afternoon of Feb. 22 to provide backup operations support to the station.
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nance along with youth and senior programs.
Measure supporters say that the increase would belong solely to the city of Reedley and not shared with the county, state or any other agency. Sales tax in Reedley would rise to 9.225 percent if the mea- sure is passed. There is no sunset date for the tax, but there will be required annual audits and a 10-year review.
MEASURE D: Parlier Unified School District Bond Measure
• (Needs 55 percent of the vote to pass) — The measure would authorize the PUSD governing board to is- sue and sell $11 million in bonds at legal inter- est rates. The money would go to construct, reconstruct, rehabili- tate or replace aging and outdated school facilities; including the furnishing and equip- ping of school facilities or acquiring/leasing re- al property for schools within the district.
The measure is ex- pected to generate about $613,000 annual- ly while bonds are out- standing, with levies of approximately 6 cents per $100 of assessed value. The district only may use bond proceeds for purposes specified in the measure, and
not for teacher or ad- ministrator salaries or other school operating expenses.
Measure B would require annual inde- pendent performance and financial audits of the use of bond pro- ceeds, including annual reports to the govern- ing board. A citizens' oversight committee also will be established to ensure that bond proceeds are properly spent.
MEASURE G: Orange Cove Police and Fire Emergency Safety Measure
• (Needs two-thirds vote to pass) — The an- nual $36 parcel tax for single-family homes and specified amounts for multifamily com- mercial, agricultural, industrial parcels is expected to raise about $98,000 annually for four years. The tax would be used "to im- prove public safety and emergency re- sponse times; maintain the number of on-duty police officers; fight crime/gangs/drugs; pro- vide modern firefight- ing equipment, with all money used only for lo- cal police and fire."
The city legally would be bound to use the funds for police and fire protection, and there is a requirement
for an expenditure plan. The measure provides for a citizen oversight committee and inde- pendent annual audits. If passed, the tax would be set to expire in four years.
MEASURE K: Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District recration funding
• (Needs two-thirds vote to pass) — The measure is being vot- ed on by voters living in the district which includes both Fresno and Tulare counties. The COJUSD would be issuing $16 million in bond funding at le- gal interest rates that cannot be taken by the state. The money would go to fund the operational needs of the Cutler-Orosi Sports Complex(es) and de- velop recreational pro- grams within the area to promote youth activ- ities including sports, arts, music and other experiences.
If approved, the measure would have annual audits as well as an independent citi- zens' oversight com- mittee to monitor and assess spendings. No money raised from the measure would go for teacher or administra- tive salaries.
••• Fresno County's
California ballot for president has 20 eli- gible candidates listed for the Democratic Party and seven for the Republican Party side — including Pres- ident Donald Trump. The presidential pri- mary vote in Califor- nia is going by the tra- ditional primary setup where registered vot- ers only cast a ballot for the candidates run- ning in their particular party.
Voters who are list- ed as having no party preference can request ballots for Democratic, American Independent or Libertarian primary votes. However, they cannot do so for Repub- lican, Green or Peace and Freedom candi- dates as those parties require voters to be registered as a voter with that party.
Other elections con- tested in the March 3 primary are two Con- gressional races for regional voters: the 22nd District (Sanger, Reedley, Dinuba, Orosi, Cutler, Orange Cove. Squaw Valley and Traver) and the 21st District (Del Rey, rural areas west of Reedley and south of Sanger). Sanger and Reedley voters also have the California 31st Assem- bly on the ballot.
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| A6 |
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