BREAKING NEWS: Lack of Action Puts Mosquito Fire Protection District—and Local Control of Emergency Services—at Risk

El Dorado County officials have formally notified the Mosquito Fire Protection District Board that efforts to complete a shared-services agreement with Garden Valley Fire Protection District have failed, placing the District at a critical crossroads. The September 11 letter, reflecting work involving County officials, El Dorado LAFCO, and Garden Valley Fire Protection District representatives, warns that the District must establish a long-term financial plan or risk potential dissolution and transfer of fire-protection services.

A copy of the letter in its entirety is below:

There is a clear and troubling disconnect between the signals residents have received from Bill Buhnerkempe and Trent Williams and the signals now coming from El Dorado County.

While the community has been led to believe there may still be a workable path forward, the County’s September 11 letter describes something far more serious: negotiations for a shared-services agreement with Garden Valley Fire Protection District have failed; the working group disbanded; and Mosquito Fire Protection District must develop a sustainable financial plan beginning in 2026–27 or face possible LAFCO discussions about dissolving the District and transferring fire-protection services to another agency.

The County also states that a proposed shared-services agreement—supported by a potential $400,000 County investment over two years—was viewed as a path toward strengthening Garden Valley’s capacity to serve the Mosquito and Georgetown communities.

Yet residents have not received a complete, clear explanation of why that agreement did not move forward, what remains negotiable, or what alternative plan is now in place.

A transparency problem

This is no longer just a question about a contract or a disagreement among agencies. It is a question of whether the Mosquito community is being given the full information it needs to understand the condition of its Fire Protection District and the decisions that could reshape local emergency services.

Residents should not have to compare public comments, County correspondence, and rumors to learn whether negotiations are active, paused, or over.

The consequences cannot be minimized

Dissolution could mean the community loses its independent fire district, local control over how services are governed, and a direct local voice in decisions about fire protection, emergency medical response, staffing, finances, facilities, and future service levels. It could also transfer responsibility for these critical services to another agency at a time when the community needs certainty, preparedness, and a stable long-term plan.

The County letter makes clear that this is not a distant or hypothetical concern. It identifies the District’s long-term financial sustainability as dire and states that, without a plan beginning in fiscal year 2026–27, LAFCO’s executive officer may begin discussions with the Commission regarding dissolution and transfer of services.

The community needs answers today

Bill, Trent, and the Mosquito Fire Protection District Board should publicly address the County’s letter today. The community needs a full account of what has happened, why the shared-services effort has stalled, what information has not yet been shared, and what concrete steps will be taken to avoid the potentially devastating consequences of dissolving the District.

Residents interested in the District’s future, local fire protection, governance, and potential shared-services arrangements are encouraged to follow the meeting and public report-out.

• When: Monday, September 14, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.

• In person: Mosquito Fire Station, 8801 Rock Creek Road, Placerville

• Zoom: Join the meeting

• Meeting ID: 826 3199 9457

• Passcode: 223344