Title
Department of Transportation, Maintenance and Operations Division, recommending the Board receive and file the Annual Written Report of Benefit Assessments/Service Charges for the Zones of Benefit within County Service Area 9 for providing certain services including road improvement and maintenance; drainage facility improvement and maintenance, landscape maintenance, street lighting, and/or wetland-related services.
FUNDING: County Service Area Benefit Assessments/Service Charges. (100%)
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Chapter 2.5 of the California Government Code, also known as “County Service Area Law," contains the regulations for establishing and governing County Service Areas. The County is authorized to form Zones of Benefit within a County Service Area (CSA). There are 94 Zones of Benefit within CSA 9, which were formed to provide certain services within their boundaries, including road improvement and maintenance, drainage facility improvement and maintenance, landscape maintenance, street lighting, and/or wetland-related services. Of those, 46 are funded through special taxes which do not require annual confirmation but are subject to accountability reporting under section 50075 et seq. of the Government Code and will be filed under separate cover at a later date. There are also six (6) drainage zones that receive no funding, for which Department of Transportation staff continues to work toward resolving.
The Annual Report of each of the zones funded through a benefit assessment/service charge is included herein and includes a description of the types of services provided in each zone of benefit.
The Board may, at its discretion, appoint Advisory Committees for zones of benefit. Advisory Committees that are appointed for zones of benefit providing road, drainage, landscape, street lighting and wetland-related services hold duly noticed meetings each year to consider their proposed budgets and make recommendations regarding work projects. Based on this year’s meeting discussions, the appointed Advisory Committees request that the Board receive and file the Annual Report to be applied to the 2025-26 tax roll and detailed in the Annual Report.
All of the benefit assessments/service charges are a continuation of the pre-existing benefit assessments/service charges that have been in place and collected since prior to the effective date of Proposition 218, which was approved by the voters in November of 1996. The continued assessments are not subject to a vote. County Counsel has previously determined that, so long as they are not increased and there is no change to the methodology by which the amounts are calculated, these assessments/service charges are exempt from the procedures and approval process of Article XIIID of the California Constitution, under Section f(a) of the Article. Any increase in any assessment or service charge will be subject to the appropriate vote requirement or procedure to adopt that increase.
Under Chapter 3.30 of the County Ordinance Code, Transportation must annually prepare and submit to the Board of Supervisors a written report on the Zones of Benefit within the County Service Areas. That report must contain a description of each parcel of real property receiving the particular extended service and the amount of the charge for each parcel for such year computed in conformity with the procedure set forth in this chapter authorizing collection of such charges on the tax roll. The attached report is prepared in compliance with Section 3.30.020 of the County Ordinance Code.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board may opt not to receive the annual report; however, this would be in violation of Section 3.30.020, Annual Report.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Receive and file as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The proposed benefit assessments/service charges will provide revenue to fund each zone’s proposed work projects, the contribution to the Road Zone Insurance Policy, and other costs related to zone administration. The total assessment for FY 2025-26 for the zones of benefit within CSA 9 to is projected to be $312,797.10. There is no impact to the General Fund or the Road Fund, and no Net County Cost associated with this item.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Priority: N/A
Action Item: N/A
CONTACT
Rafael Martinez, Director
Department of Transportation