El Dorado Hills, CA — The El Dorado Hills Fire Department is providing the following statement regarding the recent settlement of the legal matter titled Thomas and Helen Austin v. The County of El Dorado, et. al. (El Dorado County Superior Court Case No. 21050633).

Over the years, the El Dorado Hills Fire Department has significantly benefitted from the collection of development impact fees associated with new construction and growth within our service area. These fees are essential to maintaining our high standards of emergency service delivery by ensuring that new development contributes fairly to the infrastructure and equipment necessary to protect our growing community.

The decision to settle this case was made in the best overall interest of both the Department and the residents we serve. The settlement allows us to avoid the significant legal expenses and delays associated with an extended appeal process. Furthermore, it reduces the potential financial exposure and risk of a court-decided outcome, which could have resulted in higher costs to the community.

We want to emphasize that the El Dorado Hills Fire Department and its Board of Directors carried out its responsibilities in accordance with the California Mitigation Fee Act. We followed all the Fire Department’s required procedures and steps required for development impact fees.

This legal matter stemmed from a technical reporting issue at the County administrative level, which has since been addressed in collaboration with our agency partners. We value our ongoing relationship with the County and will continue working closely together to ensure transparency, accountability, and compliance in all shared processes going forward.

Our focus remains on serving the public with professionalism, integrity, and fiscal responsibility. This settlement allows us to continue doing just that—without prolonged distraction or uncertainty.

We thank our community for their continued support and understanding.