Dated notes from Andrew Sauer's race for the Big Bear City CSD Board — the three priorities, the Fire Authority review, and how to donate. Facebook and email carry the same news; this page is the on-site archive for neighbors and the press.
What the Big Bear City CSD board is taking up this week, straight from the posted agenda.
No CSD meeting on the calendar this week.
Three priorities: keep rates affordable, including a CARE-style bill-help program for seniors and squeezed families funded within what the district already collects; open up the board meetings; and get the CSD and the City talking again, starting with quarterly meetings of regional partners.
Everything we drink, flush, and depend on in an emergency is built and paid for here, so the systems this valley can't live without get funded.
Three of the five CSD seats are on the November 3 ballot, and every voter gets three votes. The board seated in December decides what replaces the fire department, on a five-month clock once the consultant reports in January. Ask every candidate which fire option they support and what it costs. Then use all three of your votes.
The City voted alone on April 29 to end the fire authority in 2027 and picked a county contract. Our end hasn't chosen yet. The 2012 agreement failed, not the crews. Where I stand: if we can fund our own department or a valley district without a new tax, I’ll vote for it. If not, the county. The consultant reports in January.
The 18 percent sewer increase this July, and the two before it, were adopted to make room for a WIFIA loan the BBARWA board has not approved. I voted for that rate schedule, and I support the project — it keeps our water on this mountain. Write the BBARWA board and ask what it would take to get a yes on the loan.
Being open is more than a broadcast: meetings recorded and translated into Spanish, decisions explained in plain language, and a district that shows up in the neighborhood between meetings.
Being affordable isn't only saying no to increases: it's scrutiny before the vote, tools that hold operating costs down, and help for the neighbors a bill hits hardest.
Neighbors can contribute online through Anedot or mail a check to Sauer for Big Bear City CSD 2026. Contributions are limited to $250 per person, are not tax-deductible, and may only be made by U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
August 7, 2026 was the deadline to file for the Big Bear City CSD Board election with the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters. Andrew Sauer is on the November 3, 2026 ballot as candidate number 12802.
As of July 25, 2026, the Big Bear City CSD is working with a consultant to lay the district's options with the Big Bear Fire Authority on the table. Andrew Sauer won't pick an option until those numbers are in — which may not be until the beginning of next year. Update, September 13: his letter lays out how he'll decide once they are — our own department or a valley district if it can be funded without a new tax, the county if not.