Authorize the Director of General Services, or the Director's designee, to sign, mark "yes," and submit the Dunnigan Fire Protection District's Proposition 218 assessment ballots. (General fund impact $228) (Pistochini)

Authorize the Director of General Services, or the Director's designee, to sign, mark "yes," and submit the Dunnigan Fire Protection District's Proposition 218 assessment ballots.

Background
Fire Protection Districts may levy a special assessment on real property within the boundaries of their respective districts to fund fire protection and emergency response improvements and services that provide a special benefit to the assessed real property. (See Health & Saf. Code 13914, Gov. Code 50078, and Cal. Const., art. XIIID, sec. 4.)  Such special benefits assessments can only be imposed after complying with Proposition 218's assessment ballot proceeding and other requirements, including preparation of a detailed engineer's report supporting the proposed assessment and holding a notice public hearing. Each ballot is weighted according to the amount of the proposed assessment to be levied on the property. A simple majority vote (50%+1) of all weighted ballots submitted is required to implement the assessment.  All parcels within the proposed special benefit district are subject to the assessment, and no exclusion is available for local government agencies, such as Yolo County, unless the local agency can demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that the assessed publicly-owned parcels receive no special benefit. (Cal. Const., art. XIIID, Sec. 4(a).) The County received assessment ballots from Dunnigan Fire Protection District in early April 2026. 

The Board of Supervisors must decide whether to take action on the ballot and provide authority to staff on how to vote and who may submit the ballot on behalf of the County for County-owned parcels. The options are to vote "yes" in favor of imposing the parcel assessment, "no" to oppose the assessment, or abstain from voting. Staff recommend that the Board support a "yes" vote on the assessment ballots as a more robust and capable fire protection district will better safeguard County employees and assets.  Further details regarding the assessment and the special benefits that will be conferred on the County-owned properties are described in the ballots and notices included with the respective assessment ballots (Attachments A and B hereto). 

This proposed assessment is the result of the Board’s August 31, 2021, action to allocate $300,000 of cannabis tax revenues for the purpose of contracting with a consultant to prepare engineers’ reports and initiate Proposition 218 elections (for Districts willing to participate) for all 15 rural fire protection districts/entities. Direct service Fire Protection Districts that successfully pass additional Proposition 218 revenue are eligible for new, additional revenues per the Board’s April 18, 2023, action to set aside $1.5M in general fund revenues for rural fire protection sustainability.

Dunnigan Fire Protection District
The Dunnigan Fire Protection District is conducting a special benefit assessment proceeding with a public hearing scheduled on June 11, 2026. This assessment will allow the District to hire additional full-time firefighters to maintain a three-person engine around-the-clock.  The County owns five parcels that are subject to the proposed assessment.  The County is expected to incur a new obligation of $227.60 per year if this measure passes. This obligation will not increase in the future. (See Attachments A and B.)

The General Services Department collaborated with the County Counsel's Office and Department of Financial Services in developing this recommendation.

Not applicable.