7/21/2025
FY 25-26 LEVY FOR LLMD
1 Public Hearing Regarding the Levy of Fiscal Year 2025-26 Assessments for the Consolidated Citywide Street Lighting and Landscaping Maintenance District City Council Presentation
July 21, 2025
7/21/2025
2 Review & receive public input on Engineer’s Report.
Confirm annexation of 125 new parcels.
Adopt FY 2025–26 levy of assessments.
Comply with Los Angeles County deadline (August 10, 2025) Purpose of Public Hearing
Staff Recommendation
Approve Engineer’s Report (with annexations)
Adopt Resolution No. 2025-90 to confirm diagrams, zone boundaries, and levy
7/21/2025
3 Financial Overview – Assessments Levied vs. Expenditures Zones A-B and H have historically operated at a deficit Service levels have been cut to remain within revenues and notably, the Phillips Ranch Riparian Greenbelt was converted a City Park effective July 1, 2025 to reduce costs for the district No increase in assessment rates (2022 the Prop 218 process failed in Zone A-B); new parcels only
Assessment is supposed to fund landscaping mainly, and aesthetic lighting in Zone B.
Assessment has not increased since the early 1990s due to Proposition 218, and remains fixed at $277.81 per year per household while costs have continued to rise.
Over the years, the General Fund has subsidized the District by taking over maintenance of Country Crossings Park and Phillips Ranch Park in 2009, and (new in FY 25–26) the Greenbelt The City has put out a Proposition 218 ballot measure three times since 2008 and it has failed three times, most recently in 2022-23 necessitating drastic cuts to service levels and prioritizing health and safety.
The area, most recently has been updated by CalFire to be a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, which may result in stricter clearance requirements, diverting more funding to fuel mitigation.
The City is facing more General Fund constraints due to:
Rising operational costs
Passage of Measure Y
7/21/2025
4 Phillips Ranch Assessment District (Zone A-B)
Due to rising operational costs, depletion of fund balance, and no increases in the assessment, drastic cuts to service levels were implemented The City is working with a consultant to implement a Proposition 218 process. 7/21/2025
5 University Corporate Center (Zone H)
University Corporate Center Assessment District classified as Zone H of the City’s Street Lighting and Landscaping Maintenance District 20 commercial properties fund the following services along Corporate Center Drive and/or South Campus Drive:
Median landscape maintenance
Parkway landscape maintenance
Street tree maintenance within public rights-of-way
Weed abatement
Proposition 218 is the 1996 California measure that limited City’s ability to increase assessments without a majority protest vote.
Identify all parcels which will have a special benefit conferred upon them Determine the “proportionate special benefit” to each property Apportioning special benefit must be reasonable and justified by a detailed Engineer’s Report 45-day notice and ballot proceeding
It is mandatory that the notice is mailed to the properties being balloted, along with the ballot Ballots weighted by assessment
Majority Protest (50% + 1)
The City has conducted this process three times since 2008 in Phillips Ranch, most recently in FY 2022-23. It failed three times.
In FY 24-25, the City began a Prop 218 process and is continuing in FY 25-26 to increase assessments in Zone H (University Corporate Center) 7/21/2025
6 Proposition 218
7/15/2025
7 Next Steps & Compliance
7/21/2025
8 Meg McWade
Public Works Director