Richmond voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to borrow up to $120 million to fix fire stations the department says are decades past their useful life. Measure Q is a general-obligation bond placed on the ballot by the City Council in late July. It needs a two-thirds supermajority.

What the bond would pay for

Ordinance No. 12-26 N.S. and the county ballot question authorize bonds to repair, replace or reconstruct deteriorating and seismically unsafe fire stations — including stations about 80 years old — renovate firefighter living quarters with mold and asbestos removal, replace failing electrical systems, roofs and plumbing, add disaster resiliency work, and upgrade related training and apparatus facilities that support rapid 911 medical and fire response.

The Mercury News reported that if voters approve it, bond money would go toward renovating or rebuilding three of the department's seven stations plus its training center. Fire Chief Aaron Osorio told the council in July the work is about keeping stations reliable in emergencies, not buying "the newest shiniest toys." Supporters' ballot argument, quoted by the paper, says Richmond's emergency-response infrastructure is failing firefighters and families.

What it would cost

While bonds are outstanding, the official ballot language estimates an average tax rate of $22.15 per $100,000 of assessed value, or about $7.57 million a year in levy capacity. The Contra Costa Taxpayers Association's filed argument against the measure puts total debt service at about $249.7 million through 2060. Using Census median home value figures cited by the Mercury News, that rate works out to roughly $147 a year for a typical Richmond homeowner. Bond proceeds would sit in a separate account, with annual independent audits, yearly finance reports to the council, and a resident community oversight committee the council must appoint before issuing any bonds.

Yes, no, and the Chevron settlement fight

  • Yes: Authorize up to $120 million in bonds and the property-tax levy for the listed fire-facility work.
  • No: Leave the city without this bond package; facility work would depend on other funding.

CoCoTax and Richmond resident Denise Gianni authored the official argument against Measure Q. They say property owners already pay roughly $420 per $100,000 in extra bond levies on top of the basic 1% rate, and that Richmond should use its roughly $550 million Chevron settlement — paid over 10 years after a 2024 deal — instead of borrowing. The argument says the fire-facility need is about $115 million and claims City Manager Shasa Curl told the council a no vote would simply push the city to use settlement money. City leaders have not locked a settlement spending plan; the council hired a consultant for community outreach on how to use those funds. Richmond Fire is also the only Contra Costa fire agency limited to basic life support on medical calls, the Mercury News noted, even though about half of its 2025 emergency calls were medical.

Ballots are already mailing. For more November contests, see our Nov. 3, 2026 Bay Area election guide.