Tuolumne County's Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $356 million budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year Tuesday, but the vote did nothing to change the fate of Mono Vista Fire Station 56, which has sat empty since July. A separate proposal to restore funding for the station failed for a third time, with three supervisors voting against it, leaving residents in several foothill communities without their nearest fire engine.
The station's closure has become one of the county's most persistent flashpoints, and as reported by CBS Sacramento, residents are pushing county leaders to reopen the station nearly three months after it went dark. During the same meeting, Supervisor Ryan Campbell brought a countermotion asking the board to pull $2.1 million from contingency reserves to fund the reopening, but that measure was rejected in a 2-3 vote, according to myMotherLode.com.
Campbell, whose District 2 seat covers many of the neighborhoods the station once served, opposed the original closure and has said the county has the money to bring the station back, per the CBS Sacramento report. He has indicated he plans to keep working toward restoring the funding, arguing there are ways to keep all five of the county's full-time fire engines staffed.
How the Station Came to Close
Mono Vista Fire Station 56 officially stopped operating in July following an April 3-2 board vote that amended the county's CAL FIRE contract by $2.3 million and eliminated six firefighter positions, according to the same myMotherLode.com report. Supervisors Mike Holland, Steve Griefer, and Anaiah Kirk voted for the contract reduction, while Campbell and Supervisor Jaron Brandon opposed it.
The closure has left some residents concerned that their communities are more vulnerable during emergencies, a worry underscored by one resident's comment, carried by CBS Sacramento, that fire services are investments in community safety and survival. Another resident told the station that residents' concerns were not heard.
A Federal Funding Cliff
The closure came amid a broader budget debate over how to fund county fire operations. The county's fire operations are also connected to its CAL FIRE contract.
Voters had a chance to head off the crunch back in November 2024, when Tuolumne County residents rejected Measure Z, a proposed 1% sales tax increase in unincorporated areas that would have generated revenue for fire, sheriff, and road services. An accompanying advisory measure urging leaders to prioritize fire and sheriff funding passed.
Residents Push for Fire Funding
Residents have continued to press county leaders to restore fire funding and reopen Station 56.
In approving this week's budget, supervisors instead directed roughly $3.7 million in one-time discretionary dollars toward road improvements and reserves rather than ongoing operational staffing for fire stations, arguing that one-time funds shouldn't be committed to recurring expenses. The board did weigh alternative revenue options, including projections showing a 9.5% increase in Transient Occupancy Tax revenue from lodging stays.
For now, the outcome leaves Station 56 closed and the debate over adequate fire protection unresolved in a county widely described as fire-prone. Campbell has signaled he isn't finished pressing the issue.
