Board Restores Fire Funding After Firefighters Pack Budget Hearing

The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors adopted a revised FY 2026-27 budget with a $4.86 million structural deficit on Sept. 8, but not before a packed room of firefighters, union leaders, and residents forced a last-minute reversal on fire district funding cuts. The marathon session laid bare a county stretched to its limits — where library branches may close because one staffer has a meeting, probation officers can't monitor released felons, and firefighters earn $19 an hour with no retirement.

• Board redirects $367,435 from contingencies to restore fire district TOT allocations after impassioned testimony from chiefs, union presidents, and volunteers
• Sheriff voluntarily gives $12,500 from her own budget to fire districts, warning the one-time fix doesn't solve next year's deeper hole
• $59,000 added for library staffing after director reveals she may have to close a branch the following day
• Chapter 20.10 governing Lake Tullock rescinded 5-0 despite Tridam bringing three attorneys to oppose the repeal
• County faces $4.86M structural deficit with discretionary revenue growth of less than 1% — far below inflation

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Firefighters Win Budget Battle, but the War Isn't Over

The most dramatic moment of the meeting came during the budget public hearing, when a unified front of fire chiefs, union leaders, volunteers, and residents descended on the board to fight a June decision that redirected Transient Occupancy Tax dollars away from fire districts. The revised budget had allocated just $132,565 to fire districts — a sharp reduction from prior levels — to cover the CDF dispatch contract and other county needs.

Why it matters: Fire districts in Calaveras County operate on razor-thin margins with wages well below livable standards. Cutting their TOT allocation threatened staffing at the very agencies that responded to the Gan Fire weeks earlier.

Where things stand: Ebbetts Pass Fire District Chief Mike Johnson led the charge, arriving with what he called a unified group of districts. "Our ask today is to bring us back to the full 25% of the TOT to be dispersed to the local fire districts," he said, adding that the CDF dispatch fee should return to the general fund.

The testimony that followed was raw. Jessica Fox, president of the West Point Wolfieville Fire Association, described conditions that stunned the room: "Our current hourly wages are $19 for a firefighter, $21 for an engineer and $22 for a captain. We also don't have individual dorm rooms or even separate living and sleeping quarters." She said the district only recently secured medical benefits and has no retirement plan.

Cole Seeley, a volunteer fireman with Calaveras Consolidated Fire, described working more than 30 hours without relief on the Gan Fire for a $100-per-day stipend in a district with no hydrants that depends on water tenders.

Nate Adway, president of ETPF Local 3581, told the board he took a $22-per-hour pay cut to serve his community and disclosed his wife's cancer diagnosis — underscoring the personal sacrifices firefighters make for wages that barely cover basics.

Ben Lampley, union president of Local 5149 and Calaveras Consolidated Fire, was more confrontational, criticizing board members for not visiting fire stations during the Gan Fire and reminding them that fire engines had appeared on the flyer promoting the TOT increase to voters.

Pat Goodman, a Mokelumne Hill resident, read a letter from the Calco Fire Board disputing claims that fire districts were sitting on a $9 million surplus, noting that 42% of reported reserves came from a single district and that Measure A funds are restricted to staffing.

The other side: County department heads pushed back — not against firefighters, but against the idea that any department has resources to spare. Sheriff Whining captured the tension most directly: "I refuse to hit essential services against each other. This is hard. We shouldn't be having a discussion about cops versus firefighters versus building inspectors." She voluntarily offered $12,500 from her own budget toward the fire allocation, while detailing years of cuts. "Over the last couple years we've had to reduce multiple deputy positions, correctional officers, correctional technicians. We had to freeze a dispatch position."

Chief Probation Officer Ms. Craddock warned of consequences if her department took further reductions: "If I don't get this funding, I lose the pretrial position. And those people will still be released, but they will not be supervised or monitored because I will not be able to do that."

Doug Oliver of the Building Department described similar staffing crises. Chair Amanda Folendorf acknowledged the pain across departments: "County departments are hurt deeply. They have been for many, many years."

Decisions: Supervisor Gary Tofanelli, District 1, broke the impasse with a concrete proposal: "What I propose to the board is we have like $1.8 million in contingencies that we put back into the TOT to the fire departments. The $367,435 that we took out to pay for the dispatch contract." The motion used general fund contingencies ($367,435) and TOT contingencies ($114,601) to fully fund the CDF dispatch contract from the general fund and restore fire district allocations, bringing the total fire TOT allocation to approximately $512,500. The sheriff's $12,500 voluntary contribution was also included. The board approved 5-0.

What's next: The board directed staff to return Sept. 22 with formal budget resolutions. But multiple supervisors and the sheriff cautioned this is a one-time fix. Contingencies now sit at the board's 2% policy floor ($1.8 million), and the structural deficit will worsen in FY 2027-28. Chair Folendorf questioned fire chiefs about whether Measure A revenues had exceeded initial projections — probing whether districts' own reserves could help bridge future gaps.

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A $326M Budget With Only $45M the County Can Control

Before the fire funding fight consumed the hearing, Assistant CEO Denise Huebner walked the board through a budget that tells a broader story of fiscal fragility.

The basics: The revised FY 2026-27 budget shows $325.9 million in total revenue — up $44.7 million from the initial recommendation. But that growth is largely structural: $39.9 million in operating transfers between funds, not new money. The general fund totals $77 million, of which only $45 million is truly discretionary.

Why it matters: The county's $4.86 million structural deficit — the gap between ongoing revenue and ongoing expenses after removing one-time savings — is being plugged by hiring freezes and deferred spending. "The $4.86 million represents our starting point for next fiscal year before accounting for any cost escalation or other upward pressures on expenditures," Assistant CEO Huebner said.

She warned that discretionary revenue growth was woefully inadequate, noting it was not even enough to keep up with annual inflation, insurance, CalPERS unfunded liability costs, and healthcare increases, let alone the natural progression of salaries and benefits.

Major expenditure drivers include the $9 million animal shelter project, Gan Fire response costs, a probation department salary correction, and personnel changes including unfreezing Environmental Health positions tied to new fee structures, a new building inspector, and a Public Works restructuring to absorb Integrated Waste Management and airport oversight. General fund reserves remain at $6 million (the board's 8% policy target).

Peggy Flynn, a Railroad Flat resident, called for far greater transparency: "Do not ask the public to accept service reductions, new taxes, or use of one-time money until the county has shown that every major expenditure category, including compensation, has been transparently analyzed." She requested a five-to-15-year total compensation report and a citizen fiscal sustainability advisory committee with residents from all five districts.

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Library on the Brink: Eight Branches, Eight Staff, One Meeting Away From Closure

Amid the fire funding debate, a quieter crisis emerged. Library Director Jesse told the board she runs seven branches with eight people — most part-time without health benefits — and that she might have to close a branch the following day because one staffer had a meeting and another was on vacation.

Why it matters: The Calaveras County library system provides "72% more open hours than the per-capita average on 58% less funding," the director said. She started her position at $112,000 carrying $100,000 in student loans — compared to $125,000 at neighboring Amador County.

Decisions: Supervisor Tofanelli's budget motion included $59,000 from a county fire fund balance to unfreeze an extra-hire position split between the Arnold and Murphy's branches. Separately, the Calaveras County Friends of the Library fully funded a one-year bookmobile position after it was rejected in the budget. Supervisor Benjamin Stopper, District 5, emphasized that his district lacks a library entirely and supported the bookmobile to reach underserved communities like Jenny Lind and Railroad Flat.

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Board Overrides Tridam's Legal Challenge to Rescind Lake Tullock Ordinance

Item 6 was supposed to be a routine consent-agenda cleanup. It became a legal showdown.

The basics: The ordinance rescinds Chapter 20.10 of the county code, which governs boating, swimming, fishing, speed limits, environmental protections, and shoreline construction at Lake Tullock. The county argued the regulations are unnecessary because Tridam's federal FERC license already gives the utility full authority over the reservoir at or below the 515-foot elevation line.

Where things stand: Sim Nicotero, general manager of Tridam Project, pulled the item from consent, telling the board Tridam only learned of it the previous week. He argued the county code provides protections beyond the Shoreline Management Plan: "The loss of our Tullock FERC license would return the reservoir to a river, affecting Tullock property values, tax revenues, recreation and commercial opportunities."

Tridam brought three attorneys. Matthew Weber cited multiple federal court rulings finding that Chapter 20.10 and the SMP work together without conflict. Joshua Bailey of Downing Brand argued the repeal constitutes a "project" under CEQA requiring an initial study, not a common-sense exemption, citing a recent First District Court of Appeal ruling in Russian Riverkeeper v. County of Sonoma.

The other side: Assistant County Counsel Julie Moss Lewis and the county's legal team disagreed with Tridam's analysis, explaining that Tridam holds total jurisdiction under its FERC license and the county acts at the reservoir only at Tridam's pleasure. CEO Teresa Hitchcock noted that multiple town halls had been held with Tridam invited. Chair Folendorf expressed frustration that the matter was being characterized as a surprise after two years of public work.

Decisions: The board voted 5-0 to rescind Chapter 20.10 per staff recommendation. The county has signaled openness to a memorandum of understanding for ongoing coordination, but Tridam's legal team has warned of potential litigation.

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Minor Items

• Consent agenda approved 5-0 (minus pulled Item 6), covering routine contracts and administrative matters.
• Closed session on labor negotiations produced no reportable action.
• Suicide Prevention Awareness Month proclaimed unanimously after Substance Use Services Supervisor Rob Puljum shared a deeply personal story about losing his brother Kevin to suicide on Sept. 5, 2003. Behavioral Health Director Wendy Alt noted suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10-24.
• Recovery Happens Month proclaimed unanimously; a community celebration is set for Sept. 22 at Turner Park, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. The county was awarded the Behavioral Health Student Services Act grant for youth substance-free campaigns at school sporting events.
• Gan Fire recognition proclaimed unanimously, honoring the American Red Cross and volunteers who served during the Aug. 3-12 fire near Valley Springs. Martha Rubin of the American Red Cross reminded residents to prepare go bags. A separate "Calaveras Strong" community fundraiser is planned for Sept. 20 at Coppertown Square.
• New Calco Fire Chief Ryan Hamry was introduced to the board.
• Public commenter Christopher Butner, publisher of calaveraswatchdog.com, called for an independent review of the Calaveras Visitors Bureau's finances, alleging the CVB accumulated $518,000 to $638,000 in reserves from TOT funds over four fiscal years while county departments faced shortfalls.
• Crystal Baldwin, a business owner in Angels Camp, requested county help with wayfinding signage along Highways 4 and 49 and inclusion in broadband planning, noting the bypass diverts travelers from downtown.