Governor Signs Tax Refund Legislation Sponsored by Metro Fire

Metro Fire is pleased to announce the enactment of Assembly Bill 1053, an urgency measure which gives Metro Fire the legal authority to refund taxes to residents who were billed in error for a special fire tax between 2005 and 2013. This assessment error - and eligibility for refunds - applies to 3,841 properties near the Sloughhouse/Rancho Murieta Special Fire Tax area, primarily affecting owners in the Anatolia community.

Upon discovering the error last year, which first occurred in the 2005/06 tax year, Metro Fire notified affected property owners and began processing refunds for tax years between 2009/10 and 2012/13. Metro Fire was prohibited by state law from accepting claims for refunds older than four years. In order to make affected property owners whole, Metro Fire sponsored AB 1053, which was authored by Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova). With the bill's passage, the District can now pay refunds for the additional tax years (2005/06-2008/09).

"With Governor Brown's signature, a barrier prohibiting Metro Fire from being able to return all of the money to those who paid the fire tax is removed," said Cooley. "Now that state law has been changed, justice can be served."

Metro Fire Chief Kurt Henke stated, "We are very thankful for Assemblyman Cooley's dedication to helping us accomplish our goal of correcting this unfair outcome and making homeowners whole for this error."

If you lived in the Anatolia area between 2005 and 2013, and have not yet applied, you may be eligible for a refund. Please contact Metro Fire’s Special Fire Tax line at (800) 676-7516 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information. Metro Fire’s authority to issue these refunds expires January 1, 2015. To receive a refund, you will need to complete an application and submit it to the District by December 31, 2014.