Templeton can vote to fund their fire services 

The SLO County Clerk's Office officially mailed out ballots for the special election on Measure A-19, where Templeton residents will vote to decide whether to fund the Templeton Fire Department 24/7.

Templeton Community Services District General Manager Jeff Briltz said the district heard from several residents who said they had already received the ballot in the mail.

"It's been a long road to get here, really like 15 years, but it's been a lot more intense in the last year or several years," Briltz said.

On May 21, the district voted to approve the call for a special election on a parcel tax to fund the fire and emergency services department.

The proposed parcel tax of $180 per year per parcel—adjusted annually for inflation and capped at 2 percent—would generate $486,000 each year for the department. The funds would improve emergency response times, maintain local fire protection, recruit and retain professional firefighters, and provide 24/7 staffing instead of the current nine hours per day.

Save Templeton Fire Yes on A formed to raise awareness about the measure, with Templeton Chamber of Commerce CEO Jessica Main spearheading the effort.

"On the business side, it's important for our business to support [measure A-19] because emergencies don't just happen at home, people can have an accident in your office," Main said. "On a personal note, I have kids and they're in school, and I want to make sure they're being taken care of when they're in school and at home at night." Δ