South County Fire’s Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to move forward on a potential capital facilities bond measure for the 2026 general election.
The bond to protect future emergency services would fund:
- Replacement of six aging fire stations
- Necessary renovations and seismic upgrades at four fire stations
- Construction of four additional fire stations to meet growing demand
- Other facilities needs to support operations
This plan results from more than a decade of strategic work to determine the community’s most important emergency response facility needs. Preliminary estimates put the measure at between $400 and $450 million.
“Our community must have fire stations that allow firefighters to respond to your needs quickly and safely,” said Jim Kenny, chair of the South County Fire Board of Commissioners. “The longer we wait, the higher the price. We believe it’s time to go to our bosses – our taxpayers – and ask for their direction.”
The motion approved at the regular board meeting Tuesday directs Fire Chief Bob Eastman to prepare, plan and move toward presenting the bond measure to voters in November 2026. Work still remains to determine the final scope and cost of the plan.
