Representative Clients:
Fire Districts

The Firm serves as general counsel to several fire protection districts state-wide advising them on matters dealing with the extension of fire prevention and suppression services, personnel, administration and dealings with other government agencies which vary from Departments of the State of California to the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs. Examples of such districts are the Rural Fire Protection District of San Diego County, the Humboldt Fire Protection District No. 1 in Humboldt County, the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District in Contra Costa County, the Saratoga Fire Protection District in Santa Clara County, the Salida and West-Stanislaus Fire Protection District in Stanislaus County, the Arbuckle-College City Fire Protection District in Colusa County and the Carmel Valley Fire Protection District in Monterey County.

Arbuckle-College City Fire Protection District

Carmel Valley Fire Protection District

The Firm represented the Carmel Valley Fire Protection District ("District") and other special districts and cities in a claim for reimbursement of State-mandated costs associated with firefighter clothing and equipment, resulting in a published opinion, Carmel Valley Fire Protection Dist. v. State of California (1987) 190 Cal.App.3d 521, which required the State to pay for costs of new governmental programs it imposes on local government from existing and future appropriations. The Firm continues to advise and represent the District.

The Firm represented the District, and other fire protection districts and the City of Carmel-By-The-Sea in an action to establish their respective rights to render emergency medical services in specific areas of the County of Monterey, a matter which resulted in a trial court judgment in favor of the District and the award of attorney's fees in excess of $303,000, and which was upheld on appeal in an unpublished decision. Carmel Valley Fire Protection Dist., et. al. v. Monterey County Emergency Medical Services Agency, et. al., Sixth Appellate District Case Nos. H016236 and H016821. The Firm is presently representing the District in an action to validate Monterey County LAFCO’s reorganization of the District to, inter alia, expand the District’s jurisdictional boundaries and extend the District’s provision of emergency medical services to the annexed territory. This matter resulted in a trial court judgment in favor of the District, and is currently on appeal.

Humboldt Fire Protection District No. 1

Linda Fire District

Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District

Novato Fire Protection District

The Firm represented the Novato Fire Protection District of Marin County ("District") in an action entitled Novato Fire Protection Dist. v. Richard S. Arrow, etc., et al., Marin County Superior Court Case No. 157248 which challenged the transfer of property taxes of the District to the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund for school purposes. The action was the subject of a Judicial Coordination Proceeding with eleven other local agency challenges to the property tax transfer heard in Los Angeles Superior Court as a Judicial Coordination Proceeding entitled "Property Allocation Tax Cases." The trial court ruled against all plaintiff local governments. The matter was appealed in the respective counties of the local government plaintiffs.

Rodeo-Hercules Fire District

Salida Fire Protection District

The Firm represented the Salida Fire Protection District (Stanislaus County) in a matter entitled Salida Fire Protection District v. County of Stanislaus, et al., Stanislaus Superior Court Case No. 255821, which challenged the issuance of 11 zone changes and related subdivision tract maps for the Salida Planned Development, a residential development of 4,000 single-family units on the basis of noncompliance with CEQA. The action settled in August of 1990 with the imposition of additional conditions to the benefit of the District.

San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District

The Firm represented the San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District of San Diego County and other fire protection districts from the counties of Santa Cruz, Solano and Sacramento in an action entitled San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District v. Davis., 25 Cal.App.4th 134 (1994), which challenged the transfer of property taxes of the involved fire districts to the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund for school purposes. Among other things, the action sought to preserve substantial property tax revenues of the involved districts and to preserve their rights for State-mandated reimbursement under Carmel Valley Fire Protection Dist., v. State of California (1987) 190 Cal.App.3d 521.

San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District

The Firm represented the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District in San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District v. The Board of Supervisors of the County of Contra Costa, Contra Costa Superior Court Case No. C 92-04453 an action to prohibit reduction of the District's property taxes consistent with American River Fire Protection District v. Board of Supervisors, 211 Cal.App.3d 1076 (1989). The Firm obtained a judgment in favor of the District at the trial court which was appealed by the County Respondents and subsequently settled on terms favorable to the District in substantial conformity with the trial court's judgment.

Saratoga Fire Protection District

Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District

West-Stanislaus Fire Protection District

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