The Moraga-Orinda Fire District held a special public board meeting on Oct. 8 to select a replacement on the board for John Jex, who recently retired. After interviewing three candidates, the board voted to appoint Greg Andrews. The other two candidates were James Duff and Max Sherman. 

    Andrews is a 14-year resident of Moraga and is currently a Chief Financial Officer for a $3.5 billion business and manages about $1.7 million. He has served on three nonprofit boards and one for-profit board. In his application, Andrews recounted an experience that he had with MOFD when one of his children was injured and he “saw firsthand the professionalism, compassion, and importance of having outstanding emergency services available when we need them most.”

    Several of the voting board members expressed their favorable impression of Andrews’ financial background, his experience as a board member and his community involvement. The appointment was effective immediately, and he was sworn in by MOFD Clerk Marcia Holbrook. Andrews will represent MOFD District 2.

    Two of the five MOFD districts will appear on the November general election ballot. In District 4, incumbent Mike Roemer is being challenged by Linda Stevens. Because District 4 has only Orinda residents, the candidates were not invited to speak at the Candidates’ Night, held on Oct. 6 at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga. In District 3, which represents residents of both Moraga and Orinda, incumbent Steve Danziger decided not to run for reelection and two candidates are competing for his open position: Steve Cohn and John Donnelly. 

    During the discussion at Saint Mary’s, MOFD candidates Donnelly and Cohn fielded a number of questions about MOFD. The candidates appeared to be in general agreement on several issues, including the use of single-role paramedics and emergency medical technicians, and the role of the MOFD over evacuation routes. On the question of who should bear the burden of fuel mitigation costs, Donnelly expressed his belief that “the buck stops with the homeowner,” while Cohn believes that MOFD could use some of its reserve funds to reduce fire fuel such as eucalyptus and pine trees
. 
    Although the candidates did not disagree on the question of the fire flow tax, Cohn’s response was surprising because for many years he has been campaigning to have the annual fire flow tax rate of Moraga citizens raised. When the matter arose in 2023, Cohn asked the Moraga-Orinda Fire District board to raise the fire flow tax on Moraga residents from 6 cents to 30 cents. Cohn was unhappy that the board adopted the same 6-cent fire flow tax rate for both Orinda and Moraga that has been in effect since 2013. 

    However, during Candidate’s Night, Cohn said that the fire flow tax was “not a big deal.” He explained, “The fire flow tax right now generates about a million dollars a year. Regular property taxes generate about $36 million a year. So the parcel tax is really a very minor, minor part. If it disappeared, it wouldn't affect MOFD.”

    In their campaign materials, candidates for MOFD District 4 emphasized their experience and accomplishments. Incumbent Mike Roemer, a former District Attorney for Alameda County, cited the improvements to MOFD during his tenure.  He mentioned his efforts to put science and technology to work for our safety: hands-on home-hardening assessments, and expanded defensible-space education so homes are prepared before the next Diablo wind event – not after. He published free, step-by-step ember-protection guides on roemerwise.com. 

    During Roemer’s tenure, MOFD expanded ambulance service with an innovative single role paramedic program that increased service availability while reducing the pressure on district pension obligations. The district also acquired a new administration building, paying cash with no interest expenses, for essential staff offices. 

    “Fiscal stewardship is essential,” Roemer says, adding. “MOFD is a public trust, and every dollar the district spends belongs to the taxpayers of Moraga and Orinda. I worked to bring discipline and transparency to our budgeting, and I am a consistent voice for addressing long-term pension obligations honestly — not deferring hard decisions to future boards and residents. We invested tax revenue in safe Treasury bills that increase our returns, and hired new investment advisors to manage investments to protect post-employment benefits for our firefighters.”

    Linda Stevens, a Geospatial Technology Consultant, focused on her experience, noting that for more than 40 years she worked in the geospatial industry, building technology that supports firefighters and first responders. She spent 28 years as an executive at ESRI, the world’s leading Geographic Information Systems (GIS) company. Stevens says that smart planning and modern tools can help firefighters work faster, safer, and more efficiently and she believe that she can help make that happen.

    Stevens’ campaign erroneously reported to Contra Costa County Elections a donation of $45,000 from the International Association of Firefighters out of Sacramento. The amount of that donation was reduced to $4,500 on Oct. 5.  Romer has not reported any campaign donations, as the regulations only require reporting after a candidate has received over $2,000 in donations, which Romer has not.