BERRY CREEK — In 2023, the Butte County government was tasked with the seemingly impossible challenge of balancing a budget while keeping essential services in place.
A year after providing pay raises to employees to stay competitive with other jurisdictions gave relief for retainment but tightened the budget. Butte County Chief Administrative Officer Andy Pickett, his leadership team and the finance department were ultimately able to put together a balanced budget to bring before the board, but despite grueling efforts, it was not without its controversy.
The final draft of the budget made two major cuts: one to library hours and one to three Amador Program fire stations in rural Butte County for the winter months. The stations in question were located in Berry Creek, Jarbo Gap and Concow.
For most of the year, these stations are staffed by Cal Fire-Butte County via contract but didn’t have the necessary funding to stay open through the winter, leaving rural residents without emergency services for months at a time. Furthermore, many of these residents are still in their rebuilding process after the Camp Fire and North Complex fires.
Concerns ranged from a lack of emergency medical services to insurance companies unwilling to provide coverage because of the lack of fire stations in the areas.
Residents in all three locations and beyond organized and began attending numerous Butte County Board of Supervisor meetings throughout 2023, speaking during public comment and protesting outside the board chambers. These efforts went as far as threatening legal action against the county over an alleged Brown Act violation. For months on end, it was common occurrence for the board chambers to be filled to the brim with signs promoting the fire stations lining the walls.
In June, the same residents attended the annual budget hearing to make their voices heard which ultimately resulted in the board utilizing its minimal contingency fund to keep the stations open in the 2023-24 season.
By the numbers, each station requires about $200,000 to keep open in the winter.
With the fiscal year budget behind it, the board has since brought in consultants to come up with a potential 2024 ballot item to find consistent funding for the fire stations as well as the libraries.
Residents who have been struggling to rebuild have also pushed for extended deadlines and easements to make the process easier and allow for more leeway, often with successful results.
The strength of rural Butte County residents has been unwavering in the past year and will likely continue into 2024 with the possibility of a ballot item to keep services at the status quo.