The Apple Valley Fire Protection District is a special district that was formed by the consent of the voters in 1951 and is governed by a five member Board of Directors. Each Director is elected to a term of four years. Special districts must abide by all of the same laws as other forms of local government such as the Ralph M. Brown Act, the California Public Records Act, and the Fair Political Practice Code reporting requirements.
Special districts are primarily funded by property taxes along with additional supplemental assessments approved by voters. In 1997 Measure V, a 20-year special tax measure was passed by voters to help fund the Fire District and add paramedic services. In 2016, with Measure V set to expire in 2017, voters overwhelmingly passed Measure A.
Boundaries for special districts can be large geographic regions or small neighborhoods and are not politically based. The Apple Valley Fire Protection District is 206 square miles and covers an area far exceeding the Town limits of Apple Valley.
Special districts are required to be audited by a county auditor or a certified public accountant to confirm public funds are being properly managed. Special districts are also required to file an annual independent audit with the county auditor and an annual financial statement and compensation report with the State Controller. Copies of recent fiscal year audits are available on this website along with the Board approved final budgets and the link to the District’s compensation report to the State Controller.
In November of 2013 the Apple Valley Fire Protection District was awarded the “District Transparency Certificate of Excellence” by the Special District Leadership Foundation.
Reference information from CSDA Fact Sheets.
