STAFF REPORT
City of Lancaster
CPH 2
8/11/2026
TN
Date: August 11, 2026
To: Mayor Parris and City Council Members
From: Patti Garibay, Director - Community Development
Nicole Jones, Manager – Community Development
Subject: Lancaster Lighting Maintenance District Annual Assessment for Fiscal Year 2026/27
Recommendation:
Adopt Resolution No. 26- , confirming the diagram and assessments, and ordering the levy of an assessment in the Lancaster Lighting Maintenance District for Fiscal Year 2026-2027.
G.C. Section 84308: No
Fiscal Impact:
Each benefit unit will be assessed $135.05, which includes a 2.93% CPI adjustment ($45.00 in zones that voted "no" during the 2003 election). An estimated total of $6,956,335 will be assessed against the benefiting properties, which will be used for maintenance expenses.
Background:
On March 11, 2003, the City Council directed that an election be held asking the property owners within the LLMD to approve an increase in the annual street lighting assessment to $70 per lighting unit, including a Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflator. LLMD was formed, including subsequent annexations thereto, for the purpose of financing maintenance operations and installation of public lighting facilities, including, but not limited to street lights, public parking lot lights, and highway safety lights (public lighting facilities) (as defined in Cal. Sts. & Hy. Code § 22525) within the City of Lancaster, and assessing those properties which benefit from this service their proportionate share of the cost. Each year, the City Council must, by law, order the preparation of an Engineer’s Report describing the existing and proposed maintenance services, and conduct a public hearing to establish and order the amount of assessment for the next fiscal year.
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Funds collected through the Lighting Maintenance District are used to operate, maintain, and repair streetlights throughout the District.
Assessment Rates for Fiscal Year 2026/27
Standard Assessment
oThe approved CPI adjustment for FY 2026/27 is 2.93%.
oThe annual assessment increases from $131.22 to $135.05 per lighting unit. Zones That Voted “No”
oParcels located within zones that voted “No” during the original district formation are not subject to CPI adjustments.
oThese parcels will continue to be assessed $45.00 per lighting unit.
Streetlight Ownership
In 2017, the City purchased approximately 18,000 streetlights from Southern California Edison. The purchase was financed through bonds. Annual Lighting Maintenance District assessments help fund the operation and maintenance of the streetlights and repay the bonds until they are fully retired.
On July 14, 2026, after hearing all protests to the lighting charges, the City Council continued the public hearing to August 11, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, City of Lancaster.
Attachment:
Resolution No. 26-
Lancaster Lighting Maintenance District Engineer’s Report