City Council does not meet this week. The Safety Committee will consider restrictions on nitrous oxide and kratom products after police found extensive sales and health officials linked them to fatal overdoses.
Many readers have heard about a recent study which shows major shortfalls in Riverside Fire Department staffing, station and equipment levels now and into the future. This study, entitled Riverside Fire Department Master Plan, Community Risk & Standards of Cover, was prepared by AP Triton, a well-known public safety consultant. In short, the analysis finds that Riverside needs to add 84 additional firefighters now and two new fire stations with staffing and equipment to operate them soon. The problem is that Riverside has no budget to pay for any of these needs.
Revenue generated by Measure Z, a 1% sales tax increase passed in 2016, is largely responsible for modernization of Riverside's existing fire fleet. However, revenue for the next several years is fully committed and not available to meet current fire department needs. The City Manager identified four potential funding sources to meet these needs now and in the future, along with a do nothing option.
In my mind an increase in the transient occupancy (hotel) tax and the do nothing options are impractical. The projected revenue from a transient occupancy tax increase falls far short of what is needed, and I firmly believe we must do something. Another option is an extension of the Measure Z sales tax after it expires in 2036. This might provide ongoing funding after 2036 but does nothing to help fund current needs. The other two options are a .25% sales tax increase and an extension of Measure Z beyond 2036 at a rate of 1.25% which is a .25% increase over the current 1% rate. Both these options provide an opportunity to address the immediate as well as future needs. I believe that with solid information on needs coupled with information on what the fire department is already doing to reduce costs most Riverside voters would support a .25% sales tax increase.
I believe the better approach is to extend Measure Z at 1.25%. This provides additional funds which can address the short term fire department needs and certainty of an ongoing revenue stream which can fund other public safety needs, street improvements, better tree trimming, improved park maintenance, and other city services as Measure Z does currently. My hope is that this is the route the City Council will adopt.
Our fire department is a critical resource for Riverside residents. They are always there when we need them, and they are very good at what they do. They have become overwhelmed in the last decade as Riverside has grown and changed while our fire department has remained relatively static. No additional firefighters have been added for seven years, and the last additional fire station opened in 2007.
The goal for a fire department response is six minutes from dispatch to arrival on scene. In 2025 the Riverside average was seven minutes, 38 seconds, an increase of over 4% just since 2024. This extended time is critical for a patient who is not breathing or bleeding badly. House fires double in size about once every minute. Current response times mean a fire may increase more than one and a half times in size before a response arrives compared to the goal. Not only are response times slipping, we also have fewer firefighters than most cities our size. As an example, Riverside has just 0.69 firefighters per 1000 residents while Glendale, a city with a population just over half of ours, has 1.35 firefighters per 1000 residents.
If the city council puts a measure like this on the 2026 ballot I will work hard to support it. No one, myself included, likes taxes, but this is a critical need that we must address. We cannot continue to see response times lengthen, to be understaffed, and hope we don't have a big wildfire like Los Angeles recently had. I will gladly pay 1.25% extra sales tax to address this issue. That is $1.25 on a $100.00 purchase. I hope I never need a fire department response, but if I do, I want them to get there with the proper equipment in time to help me.
If you feel the same, please let your councilmember know you would like the opportunity to vote on a sales tax measure this year.
A Riverside resident of 50+ years, Mike served on the City Council for 12 years, 11 years on the State Seismic Safety Commission, and is currently on the Western Municipal Water District Board.
