Fire protection and emergency response services are essential services our community relies on every day. Like many rural communities, Groveland is facing increasing challenges in sustaining long-term funding for these services.

This meeting is intended to provide information and begin a community conversation about the future of fire protection in Groveland.

The Groveland Community Services District (GCSD) provides fire protection through a Schedule A partnership contract with CAL FIRE, which provides professional fire personnel assigned to the Groveland CSD fire engine. GCSD provides the only fire engine dedicated specifically to serving the Groveland community.

Other engines in the region have broader responsibilities:

• CAL FIRE engines primarily focused on statewide wildfire response
• County engines serving wider regional areas and resorts

The current FY 2025-26 budgeted fire expense is $2,241,068.

Property tax revenue. Budgeted property tax revenue to FY 2025-26 is $1,475,554.

The District has drawn the Fire Fund Balance (reserves) over several years to cover the funding gap. At the current rate, the Fire Fund Balance is projected to reach a negative balance beginning in FY 2027–2028.

Yes. Over the past several years the District has pursued multiple funding options, including:

• Development impact fees for new development
• A Community Facilities District for new large commercial development and subdivisions
• Grant funding for equipment and projects
• Service fees where appropriate

Partnering with CAL FIRE allows the District to access trained personnel and extensive equipment resources without assuming those long-term liabilities.

Benefits include:

• Access to highly trained firefighters
• Access to additional equipment and personnel when needed
• Predictable contract costs
• No pension or workers’ compensation liability for the District

Operating an independent fire department would be more expensive and require:

• Hiring full-time firefighters
• Managing pensions and workers’ compensation
• Large increases to District’s liability and work comp insurance expense
• Maintaining training programs
• Providing administrative support and management

Maintaining a reliable volunteer department has become increasingly difficult to near impossible, especially in a rural community like Groveland.

Contributing factors:

• Many volunteer eligible residents work outside the area and unavailable for daytime calls
• Firefighting training and certification requirements are much more extensive today
• Most emergency medical calls now involve medical response, requiring advanced training
• Wildfire and structure fire response requires consistent staffing levels

For these reasons, many rural communities have transitioned to staffed fire protection models.

The District has been discussing fire funding challenges for several years through Board meetings and in the Management Discussion and Analysis section of the District’s annual audited financial statements.

Over the past several years, the District has evaluated and implemented available revenue options before reaching the current situation.

Yes. Insurance companies evaluate several factors when determining insurance availability and cost, including local fire protection and response capability. 

If the gap between revenue and expenses continues, the District will not be able to sustain the current level of fire protection and emergency response in Groveland.

The current service level already represents the minimum level of fire protection for the community.

GCSD has engaged a third-party independent consultant specializing in fire service funding analysis and planning. The consultant will evaluate fire protections services, costs, and long term sustainability. The District will be scheduling a future community meeting to discuss the results and outcome of the study. 

It is a proposed property assessment that would provide a dedicated, stable funding source for fire protection and emergency response services in the Groveland Community Services District (GCSD). The assessment is designed to close a funding gap caused by rising costs that have outpaced property tax revenue, and to fund improved staffing and equipment for local fire services.

Groveland CSD currently funds fire services primarily through property taxes. However, property tax revenue has not kept pace with the rising cost of the CAL FIRE Schedule A contract, apparatus replacement needs, and other operational costs. Without additional funding, the District is unable to adhere to a major component of the CAL FIRE Schedule A Agreement; upgrade from a 2-person crew to the nationally recommended 3-person staffing level. The District also cannot fund a systematic apparatus replacement program.

The assessment will fund two major improvements: (1) Increased Firefighter Staffing- transitioning from the current 2-person (2/0) crew to a 3-person (3/0) crew under the CAL FIRE Schedule A contract, consistent with NFPA 1710 minimum staffing recommendations; and (2) Improved Maintenance and Replacement of Apparatus and Equipment- establishing a dedicated funding source to systematically replace aging fire apparatus. A new fire engine costs approximately $1.3 million and has a delivery time of up to three years.

OSHA regulations require a minimum of two firefighters inside a structure and two firefighters on standby outside during a structural fire response (the '2 in, 2 out' rule). With only a 2-person crew, the District must remain in a defensive posture outside of the burning structure until additional resources arrive. A 3-person crew allows a quicker turnaround in assigning personnel to both interior and exterior functions and initiate interior firefighting without waiting for a second apparatus.

The proposed base assessment rate for a single-family home is $475.64 per year. However, the exact amount for each parcel varies based on three factors: the property type, the fire hazard zone designation (Very High, High, Moderate, or None), and the travel time from Station 78 to the parcel. Your ballot will have the exact dollar amount that your property would be assessed, if approved.

The proposed base assessment rates are: Single Family- $475.64 each; Multi-Family- $226.74 per residential unit; Commercial/Industrial- $933.81 per half acre; Storage- $995.44 per half acre; Parking Lot- $17.99 each; Vacant- $72.46 each; Agriculture- $9.02 per acre; Range Land & Open Space- $3.17 per acre.

No. This is a benefit assessment, not a tax. Because it is levied based on the special benefit each property receives from the improved fire services, it is not governed by Proposition 13 (Article XIIIA of the California Constitution). It is subject to the requirements of Proposition 218 (Article XIIID), which requires that assessments be proportional to the special benefit each parcel receives.

Yes, but only by a maximum of 5% per year, at the Board of Directors' discretion. No automatic annual increase is guaranteed or required. The actual rate levied each year will be determined by the Board based on the District's financial needs, and may be less than the maximum authorized rate.

A Notice of Assessment and Assessment Ballot will be mailed to each property owner within the proposed Assessment District. Property owners have a minimum of 45 days to return their ballots. A public hearing is scheduled for July 8, 2026, at which public testimony will be heard and ballots received. After the hearing, ballots will be tabulated. The assessment can only be approved if the weighted value of ballots in favor exceeds those in opposition.

Special benefit is a particular and distinct benefit a property receives over and above general benefits to the public at large. For fire services, special benefit is calculated using four factors: (1) Fire Risk- based on the property type's statistical fire risk relative to a single-family home; (2) Structure Replacement Value- based on assessed improvement and land values; (3) Fire Hazard Zone- based on CAL FIRE's Fire Hazard Severity Zone designation for the parcel; and (4) Travel Time- based on the estimated drive time from Station 78 to the parcel.

Yes, if they receive special benefit. Under Article XIIID of the California Constitution, publicly owned properties are not exempt from assessment unless there is clear and convincing evidence they receive no special benefit. Public properties used for purposes similar to private residential, commercial, or institutional uses are assessed at the same rate as comparable private properties.

If approved, the assessment would be levied beginning in Fiscal Year 2026-27 and continued annually, so long as fire risk exists and the District requires assessment funding for fire services. The Board must hold an annual public hearing to continue the assessment and approve an updated budget and rate each year.

If a majority of weighted ballots oppose the assessment, the District will be unable to continue the Schedule A Agreement with CAL FIRE and fire protection services will be outsourced to the nearest station with an available engine at the time of the call.

Approval of the assessment is determined by a weighted ballot process, where each vote is proportional to the amount of the proposed assessment. The assessment is approved unless a majority of the weighted ballots submitted oppose it. There is no minimum number of ballots required for the vote to be valid.

Per Proposition 218, each parcel receives one weighted vote. For example, if one person owns 5 properties, they will receive one ballot with all 5 proposed assessment amounts listed on it, and that ballots vote will be weighted according to its combined assessment amounts.

If approved, the assessment would be levied beginning in fiscal year 2026-27 and appear on property tax bills for that year.

Yes. Assessment revenues are deposited into a separate fund and may only be used for fire protection services.

Please send an email to melanie.lee@sci-cg.com referencing your parcel number, property address, and contact information and we will contact you to process a replacement ballot. Depending on the date requested, a replacement will be made available via mail or will be made available for you to fill out at the Public Hearing.