California imposes fire fee on some Lake Tahoe area residents

A California-imposed fire prevention fee on property owners will be issued for El Dorado County residents including those living in rural areas around South Lake Tahoe, officials said Wednesday.
Property owner in areas where Cal Fire provides fire protection will be assessed an annual $150 fee per habitable structure, according to an El Dorado County news release. The release was not specific about fire district coverage for South Lake Tahoe and Meyers and whether the tax applies in these areas. However a map does show the areas and it appears much of South Lake Tahoe isn't included because it is considered urban boundaries. However there are areas east and west of town and in areas all the way to Meyers beginning near the Lake Tahoe Airport to Lake Tahoe Golf Course, Washoe Meadows State Park and along the Highway 50 corridor that are included in the tax area.
Mike Applegarth, principal analyst for El Dorado County, encourages property owners to go to the website www.firepreventionfee.org and click on the map where the zones are highlighted in yellow. A map is included in the PDF below. He said the map is all the information his department has and is not sure of individual streets included in the tax zone.

A $35 reduction in the amount of the fee applies if the property is also located within a local fire district.
The new state fee was approved was approved by the Legislature and Governor last year. The State Board of Equalization is expected to begin issuing the first bills in August. Billing will proceed alphabetically by county name.
“Although El Dorado County is the 29th largest county in terms of population, we are the 4th largest in terms of Fire Fee bills due to the size of the State Responsibility Area,” said Terri Daly, Chief Administrative Officer, in the news release. “This new state fee hits our residents hard, and has the potential to create a lot of confusion.”
Most of the populated areas of El Dorado County are already part of a local fire protection district. In most instances, local fire districts are the first responders to emergency calls. Neither the county nor local fire districts receive any additional funding through the State Fire Prevention Fee.
The State has established a website with additional information about the State Fire Prevention Fee: www.firepreventionfee.org. Residents are encouraged to contact the state with questions about their fee, applicable laws and regulations and the appeal process.