American Canyon Fire Protection District v. County of Napa

Appellants, American Canyon Fire Protection District and its commissioners, appeal from a judgment denying them relief in a mandamus/prohibition proceeding against respondents, the County of Napa, the county’s board of supervisors and board members.

The facts are undisputed. On August 28, 1979, respondent board of supervisors held a duly noticed and published public hearing as required by section 98.6, subdivision (b), of the Revenue and Taxation Code, for the purpose of determining the distribution of $544,392 in special district augmentation funds (so-called “bail-out” funds). Appellants were one of 23 special districts within Napa County eligible to receive such funds. Ten of those twenty-three districts, including the Napa County Fire Department, were governed either directly or indirectly by respondent board of supervisors. In the case of the Napa County Fire Department, this relationship to the board arises from section 25210.50 of the Government Code, which authorizes the board to furnish structural fire protection services to county service areas established for that purpose. Respondent board provides such services in the unincorporated areas of Napa County…