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Placer County approves inflationary increases to several local fire impact fees
Summary
The Board of Supervisors adopted updated fire facilities impact fees for multiple local fire protection districts — Newcastle, Placer Hills, Penryn and Northstar — to reflect a 9.4% inflation adjustment and a nexus study update. The fees take effect July 12, 2025.
The Placer County Board of Supervisors on May 13 adopted a set of updates to fire facilities impact fees for several local fire protection districts, saying the changes are meant to keep development-linked funding aligned with rising construction and equipment costs.
Gina Olivares of the county CEO’s office presented the items, noting the changes are annual inflationary updates required under Government Code section 66000 and that each fee change was first approved by the affected district boards before coming to the county for final action.
The board approved increases that include: Newcastle Fire Protection District’s fee to $1.44 per square foot (from $1.32); Placer Hills Fire Protection District’s fee to $1.17 per square foot (from $1.07); Penryn Fire Protection District’s fee to $2.01 per square foot (from $1.84); and a Northstar Community Services District update that raises its fire facilities fee to $3.39 per square foot (the Northstar change followed a nexus study update considered by that district earlier in the year). All of the fees are scheduled to take effect on July 12, 2025.
Board members and speakers at the hearing stressed the pressure on smaller fire districts. A resident and several supervisors highlighted concerns about district solvency and the need to preserve basic emergency services in rural areas. The chief and local fire representatives attended or were available to answer questions during the hearings.
The Northstar item was presented as a nexus study update; Olivares said Northstar’s last fee study dated to 2009, explaining why the jump appeared larger than other updates. Supervisors discussed variation among districts’ fees and said those discrepancies underscore ongoing county work to stabilize fire funding.
The board opened and closed public hearings on each item before voting. Each fee increase passed on unanimous votes taken individually.
The adopted fees will be placed on the county fee schedule and used to fund capital and apparatus costs attributable to new development in each district.
