The Santa Paula City Council on Monday approved a resolution that, once finalized and in effect, effectively disbands its 114-year-old fire department.
The tax-sharing agreement sets the terms for getting coverage from the larger Ventura County Fire Protection District. The district is paid for from property taxes, and Santa Paula will turn over 79 percent of what it gets once it joins, according to the agreement.
The district currently includes unincorporated areas, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Ojai and Port Hueneme.
The council voted 4-1 on Monday night to approve the tax-sharing agreement. Mayor Jenny Crosswhite dissented, saying she still had “some issues” with Santa Paula paying the highest share, percentage-wise, of any city in the district.