Fire Protection or Subsidized Sprawl?

This Sacramento Bee editorial states its opposition to bill SB 1916 by Sen. Tim Leslie, El Dorado, which would require the California Department of Forestry to provide the prospective city of El Dorado Hills with fire service free of cost. It would essentially amount to a state taxpayer subsidy of a municipal service the area does not have the finances to support if it were to become a city, the editorial asserts. Such a move would encourage urban sprawl into fire-prone wildlife areas and cause greater complication in fire control. The editorial calls the Leslie bill an "irresponsible" subsidy of urban sprawl.