Dear Members of the Fallen Leaf Lake Community,
As president of the Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District, I am writing to encourage your attendance at our February 28th meeting at 10 am in South Lake Tahoe with remote attendance possible via Zoom. Our primary topic for the day will be the financial challenges facing the District.
For the last decade, the District has operated with a funding model that relies, in great part, on revenue generated by strike teams that are deployed in response to wildfires throughout the western United States. The success of this business model is dependent on wildfire activity, Federal and State funding to fight the fires, and the FLLFD’s ability to respond to calls for strike teams.
As we enter the 2026 season under the new leadership of veteran Fire Chief Chris Sauer and General Manager Don Ashton, the Board is committed to establishing a reliable and sufficient funding plan, operating with a balanced budget, and being fully transparent with the community. We anticipate some difficult trade-offs, including possible fire tax increases and/or service level reductions, as we work with all of you to raise the necessary funds.
To be more specific, the special fire taxes we collect each year cover only the fire department’s most basic operating expenses such as insurance, utilities and vehicle maintenance. All payroll costs, including paramedic support, and any improvements to CSD-owned facilities and equipment must come from other sources.
Thank you in advance for your support and patience as we navigate these challenging times. We are truly blessed to have a committed staff with deep expertise, many talented volunteers, and a community of good will. More information about the upcoming meeting, including a board packet, will be posted to the CSD website later this month. For now, please mark your calendars for 10 am on Saturday, February 28. And if you’re planning to attend in person, please send an email to cmontgomery@fllcsd.org to ensure that we have enough chairs!
We hope to see you there,
Karen Sipprell, Board President