We also may demand that users of the service pay something. When you call an ambulance, you may be charged a fee. And when you ride a bus, you pay a fare. But our community could not offer these services if they were financed only by the people who use them. And we don't require the users to cover 100 percent of the cost because even those who don't use the services benefit in some way.
Good schools sustain property values for homeowners.
A good fire protection district keeps everyone's fire insurance rates low. People who ride the bus don't clog the roads with their personal vehicles. When voters of this county approved Initiative 695 last November by a 57- 43 margin, they secured for themselves a savings in their auto license fees. But the agency was still forced to cut back on days of operation, hours of service and eliminate its least efficient routes. Fares doubled, and Access service that provides transportation to the elderly and disabled was cut back.