Mosquito Fire Director Calls for Shared-Services Shake-Up as Community Demands Results

Aug 24
4 min read

Director Maria Rodriguez is asking the Mosquito Fire Protection District Board to change course on the shared services negotiations—calling for a swap on the committee currently led by Directors Trent Williams and Bill Buhnerkempe. Her message is clear: Mosquito needs a negotiating team that will move with urgency and deliver measurable progress.

At the August 27 Board meeting, Rodriguez will ask the Board to appoint her to the Garden Valley 2x2 shared-services committee and the related LAFCO work, replacing either Williams or Buhnerkempe. Her proposal responds to rising community concern that the existing representation has not moved aggressively enough to secure an agreement that serves Mosquito’s needs

A Call for Change

For months, Mosquito residents have been watching the shared-services discussion closely—and asking a simple question: Where is the agreement?

Garden Valley Fire Protection District first offered a shared services conceptual document to Mosquito in April 2026. LAFCO has also been involved in discussions affecting Mosquito and other Divide fire districts since November 2025. Yet, as of late August, a final agreement has not been presented for approval.

Director Williams was appointed in May to represent Mosquito in the Garden Valley 2x2 process and related LAFCO meetings, joining Director Buhnerkempe, who has been working on this for several months prior. The committee was expected to pursue a path forward at a time when the District faces financial constraints, staffing pressures, and an urgent need for a stable operational plan.

Rodriguez’s agenda item argues that the current process has not produced the urgency the community expects. She describes months in which the work moved from conceptual discussions, to a five-page list of questions, to an 11-page list of questions—without Mosquito producing a completed contract draft driven by its own representatives.

Her proposal is a direct challenge to the Board: if the current team is not producing the progress residents need, then the team must change.

Why Shared Services Matters

The question is bigger than committee assignments. It is about whether Mosquito can quickly secure a practical agreement that strengthens emergency-service delivery while preserving a strong local voice.

The District’s Board materials make clear that Mosquito is navigating serious operational and financial pressures, including ongoing staffing needs, administrative demands, and the challenge of sustaining essential services. A well-negotiated shared services agreement could help the District coordinate resources, improve stability, and build a more sustainable path forward for the community.

Mosquito’s formal response to the Civil Grand Jury further identifies long-term financial sustainability as one of the District’s most significant priorities, citing limited property-tax revenue, increasing costs, reliance on grants, and challenges recruiting and retaining qualified personnel.

Shared services is not a surrender of Mosquito’s identity. Done correctly, it is a way to preserve local service, share critical administrative and command resources, improve coordination, and provide a more durable structure for the future.

But an agreement only helps if it is negotiated promptly, transparently, and with Mosquito’s priorities at the center.

Director Trent Williams (left) and Director Bill Buhnerkempe (right) currently serve as Mosquito Fire Protection District’s shared-services representatives. Director Maria Rodriguez is proposing a committee swap to help accelerate negotiations toward a shared services agreement. Both Williams and Buhnerkempe are candidates in the November election for Mosquito Fire Protection District Board seats.

The Current Status

The latest 2x2 committee update confirms that Williams and Buhnerkempe attended a July 29 meeting with Garden Valley representatives, LAFCO, County personnel, and the County Supervisor. Garden Valley prepared a proposed agreement for legal and insurance review; Mosquito’s counsel and insurance agent suggested changes, which were sent back to Garden Valley.

The update also states that Garden Valley does not expect to bring a final agreement to its Board until September 3 at the earliest. As a result, Mosquito’s August 27 agenda item for a Shared Services Agreement is contingent on Garden Valley’s approval and may not be ready for final action at this meeting.

That delay is precisely why Rodriguez is proposing a change now. Her issue paper says Mosquito must shift into a more efficient contract-writing and negotiating posture, with the goal of reaching an agreement while Interim Chief Bellerive remains available through December 11, 2026.

Rodriguez’s Proposal

Rodriguez is asking the Board to take two linked actions:

Appoint her to the shared-services committees by swapping her in for either Director Williams or Director Buhnerkempe.
Shift committee assignments, including the tax-related work, so the overall workload remains balanced and the Board avoids Brown Act concerns.

Click below to read the full summary provided by Director Maria Rodriguez and cited examples to justify swapping roles with either Buhnerkempe or Williams.

Her stated rationale is that the Board needs negotiators who will push forward with contract drafting, revisions, and decisive action—rather than allowing the agreement to remain in an open-ended cycle of questions and delayed reports. She argues that stalling is not in the community’s best interest and that Mosquito must actively write, negotiate, and secure terms that are transparent and beneficial to local residents.

This is an opportunity for the Board to respond to the public’s growing demand for immediate progress. A committee swap would not decide the agreement itself. It would decide whether the District is willing to bring new energy, accountability, and urgency to the task of getting one done.

Attend the Meeting

Residents who want faster action on shared services should attend the Mosquito Fire Protection District Board meeting:

Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.

8801 Rock Creek Road, Placerville, CA 95667

The agenda includes both the Shared Services Agreement update and Director Rodriguez’s Shared Services Committee Change proposal. Residents may also join remotely through Zoom. Zoom information can be found by visiting the district's website:https://www.mfpd.us/mfpd-board-meetings

Community members should urge the Board to support a committee change, demand a public timeline with clear milestones, and insist that negotiations move quickly toward an agreement that protects Mosquito’s fire protection services, community voice, and future.

Join Us Before the MFPD Meeting

Please click HERE to RSVP.

Before the Mosquito Fire Protection District Board meeting, please join us in honoring the service and dedication of Fire Chief Edward Dwyer.

Service Celebration for Fire Chief Dwyer

Thursday, August 27, 2026 - 1:00 p.m.

Come together with neighbors, friends, firefighters, and community members for BBQ burgers and refreshments as we recognize Chief Dwyer’s service to Mosquito and the community.