El Dorado Hills
“ From the residents ’ perspective of El Dorado Hills , we would have much higher levels of service available , particularly in law enforcement as opposed to what the sheriff is currently able to offer through the county at the present time .”
John Hidahl District 1 , El Dorado County Board of Supervisors
The CSD expects to order the report this fall . “ Once that report comes in , it will give us … the financial numbers on whether or not we will be able to support cityhood in El Dorado Hills ,” says Ferry .
After that , the CSD can order a comprehensive feasibility analysis that would tear apart the first document and add significantly more information , says Ferry . That analysis will cost $ 100,000 , paid for by El Dorado Hills Citizens for Cityhood , the CSD and the community , says Ferry , which will pave the way for an environmental impact report . Ferry ’ s group has budgeted $ 250,000 for that report and would like the prospective city to use the general plan of El Dorado County to complete it .
Once the first three steps are complete , Ferry says the El Dorado Hills Citizens for Cityhood can approach the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors . Three of the five supervisors will need to vote yes to proceed under the California Local Area Formation Commission , the agency that oversees incorporation . “ If it doesn ’ t make ( the commission ’ s ) rules , then it doesn ’ t make it , period ,” says Ferry .
And while one requirement is revenue neutrality , which ensures fiscal impacts to a county are addressed when a community attains cityhood , the board of supervisors ’ vote could hinge on how those fiscal impacts are addressed . Ferry says the county and a representative for the new city would negotiate toward revenue neutrality .
Hidahl believes the board members will need to see the numbers , though he ’ s optimistic .
“ As an individual , I very much and for a long time have supported incorporation , if it ’ s financially viable — and that ’ s the key parameter ,” says Hidahl , who led the previous effort at incorporation . “ Nobody wants to enter into a new form of government only to find out there aren ’ t enough revenues to pay for the many expenses that go with providing services .”
But Hidahl adds cityhood needn ’ t be a cash bleed or taxing nightmare for El Dorado Hills . “ There ’ s very , very conservative towns and cities in California that do just fine on their own because they elect people who are very conservative and want to make sure that they manage their resources .”
Graham Womack is a freelance writer based in Sacramento . His work has appeared in a variety of publications , including the San Francisco Chronicle , The Sacramento Bee , and Sacramento News & Review . On Twitter @ grahamdude .
DID YOU KNOW ?
The popular band , Cimorelli , now based in Nashville , got its start in El Dorado Hills in 2007 , when the five sisters began playing local gigs . After the band ’ s performance went viral on its YouTube channel — which now has 5.5 million subscribers — it was signed by Island Records UK in 2010 . The Cimorelli sisters are the daughters of Mike Cimorelli , founder and president of local companies TI Builders and Cimorelli Construction Company — one of the first companies involved in the construction of the El Dorado Hills Town Center . Today , the sisters work as independent artists in Tennessee , producing songs with a positive message .
El Dorado Hills is home to Ansync Labs , a multi-disciplinary engineering and manufacturing firm that develops complex concepts into technological products . “ What separates us from many other design houses and engineering firms is that we have the ability to create functional prototypes and do manufacturing ,” explains Tyler Clark , director of finance of Ansync . Clark also notes many of the company ’ s clients are local . “ There ’ s a sneaky tech footprint servicing everything from healthcare to aerospace … nestled in the foothills of Northern California .”
— Robert Schaulis
84 comstocksmag . com | November 2020