On Sept. 10, a powerful regulatory agency will begin the process of deciding an issue that has split the community of Julian — whether to disband its 34-year-old volunteer fire department in favor of the County Fire Authority assuming control and staffing.
The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), which has countywide jurisdiction but is independent of county government, will hear the pros and cons during what promises to be a lengthy hearing.
LAFCO is responsible for overseeing changes to local governmental boundaries, including the formation, consolidation, merger and dissolution of special districts.
The commission’s staff is recommending the dissolution of the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District, the last volunteer department in the county. All the other volunteer departments in the backcountry have been absorbed by the county in the past decade.