Issues & Priorities
Fair Funding for Penn Valley Fire
Penn Valley Fire is expected to provide the same kind of dependable emergency service as neighboring districts, but California’s property-tax system does not distribute local revenue evenly.
Penn Valley Fire’s estimated share of the countywide 1% property tax for 2025–26 is about $557,000. The amount a district receives is shaped by historical allocation formulas, not simply by today’s population, assessed property values, or emergency-service needs. Nevada County Estimated Property Tax Allocation
That system can leave communities with dramatically different levels of funding. In Nevada County’s current distribution, Penn Valley Fire receives roughly 74% less property-tax revenue than some better-funded fire districts, even though Penn Valley serves a district of comparable or greater size and population and carries the same fundamental responsibility for fire protection and emergency medical response.
Protecting Fire, Rescue & Emergency Medical Response
For many residents, the most important service our district provides is the one they hope they never need: a fast, capable response when someone is injured, seriously ill, or facing a life-threatening emergency. I know from experience, this is not a service we should take for granted.
That is especially important in a community where many residents are older adults and medical calls are a significant part of the demand placed on emergency services. Lake Wildwood alone has more than 5,000 residents, and 42.2% of its population is age 65 or older. Census.gov
My priority is straightforward: protect the staffing, training, equipment, employee retention and emergency medical capability needed to keep response reliable. As costs rise and the district plans for the future, those decisions should begin with the service residents depend on most.
Wildfire Preparedness & Community Coordination
Let’s not sugarcoat it. Times have changed, and we need to look no further than the devastation wildfires have caused in neighboring communities to understand that preparedness and forward-looking leadership is critical. At the same time, wildfire preparedness is not something any single agency or neighborhood can solve alone.
The strongest protection comes from residents, Firewise communities, the fire district, county agencies, and other partners working together before an emergency begins. That means supporting defensible space and fuels reduction, improving communication, planning for evacuation, helping residents understand risk, and making sure local organizations know how to work together when conditions change quickly.
I want to use my role on the board to support stronger coordination, better communication, and thoughtful long-term planning around wildfire preparedness. That includes working with the district, Firewise communities, county agencies, and residents to identify where we can improve and helping make sure preparedness remains a priority as wildfire risk and evacuation challenges continue to evolve.
Transparency, Accountability & Local Control
As regional cooperation and changes to fire service continue to be discussed, I want our district’s needs represented clearly. Cooperation can be valuable, but major decisions should be made openly, based on complete information, and with a clear understanding of what they mean for the people of Penn Valley and Rough and Ready.
I am proud of the fiscal discipline and leadership that have allowed Penn Valley Fire to remain financially stable despite receiving significantly less property-tax revenue than some neighboring districts. That matters when broader consolidation and reorganization proposals are considered. Nevada County and LAFCo have actively explored larger fire-district reorganizations in recent years.
I believe cooperation must strengthen what Penn Valley has built, not come at the expense of sound local decision-making. Any future change should have to demonstrate, with clear evidence, that it improves service, protects our financial position, and clearly benefits our district.