Yuba County is one of the poorest counties in California. Public services for the foothills where I live in Camptonville have been steadily decreased over the years due to lack of county funds.

The development and ongoing support of the Yuba Highlands residential area will further drain Yuba County's already low bank account. Cost of community services studies have been performed in more than 63 communities nationwide. While every community is different, those studies show that for $1 of revenue generated by residential development, the cost is from $1.15 to $1.50 to provide services to those residential areas. To verify these figures, Google "Tax base vs. cost of services."

Developing and supporting Yuba Highlands means even fewer public services for the rest of the foothills and other existing communities in Yuba County. The Yuba Highlands development will certainly benefit the developers but will definitely be a serious liability to Yuba County and those of us who already live here.

Richard DicKard

Camptonville