ATTACHMENT B
COPY OF MAILED PUBLIC
HEARING NOTICE
1 VICTORVILLE WATER DISTRICT
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PROPOSED CHANGES IN WATER SERVICE RATES
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT:
The Board of Directors (“Board”) of the Victorville Water District (“ District”) will conduct
a Public
Hearing on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 6:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard, at the location noted above,
to consider a proposed five-y ear
schedule of changes to the rates and fees the District charges to provide water and water service to its customers (the “
Proposed Rates”).
If approved, the Proposed
Rates will be effective for a five-year period, commencing on August 1, 2026.
Toda esta información puede ser encontrada en Español en la pagina web de la Ciudad de Victorville:
https://www.victorvilleca.gov/Government/Legally-Required-Postings. Si tiene preguntas adicionales por favor llame Alejandra Garcia al 760-955-2318.
This notice is being sent to all property owners of record who receive water service from the District to describe the P roposed Rates, explain how they were calculated, and provide the reasons they are being imposed. Such notice is required by California Constitution Article XIII D (also known as “ Proposition 218”) whenever a public agency proposes changes to property-related fees, such as water service. Proposition 218 also requires the District to conduct a public hearing prior to adopting the Proposed Rates and provide property owners with the opportunity to submit a written protest to the P roposed Rates. These requirements ensure transparency, accountability, and an opportunity for customers to participate in the rate‑setting process.
Please see the “HOW TO SUBMIT A PROTEST” portion of this notice for instructions on submitting a w
ritten protest. In addition, property owners wishing to preserve the ability to legally challenge the Proposed Rates must file a timely written objection. Please see the “WRITTEN LEGAL OBJECTION PROCEDURE” portion of this notice for instructions on how to file a written legal objection.
PUBLIC HEARING
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
Victorville City Hall Council Chambers
14343 Civic Drive, Victorville, California 92392
PROPERTY OWNER NAME PROPERTY ADDRESS LINE 1
PROPERTY ADDRESS LINE 2
RE: Account No. XXXXX
1 APN: XXXX-XXX-XX
2 REASONS FOR THE PROPOSED RATES
The District strives to provide safe, reliable, and high-quality water and water delivery services to its customers at a reasonable cost, while adhering to regulatory requirements and maintaining fiscal and environmental responsibility. As part of its fiscal responsibilities , the District regularly evaluates the cost of providing water and water systems/services (“ Water Service”) to confirm that expenses are balanced with revenues. To that end, the District engaged an independent consultant to perform a comprehensive cost of servi ce analysis/rate study (“Rate Study”) to evaluate costs associated with the District’s operations and maintenance requirements , infrastructure needs, programs, and administrative functions directly related to providing W ater Service.
As required by Proposition 218, this notice and the Proposed Rates must reflect the District’s actual costs of providing water service (“Cost of Service ”). Water rates must be based upon the
expenses involved in operating and maintaining the water system, treating and delivering water, and completing necessary repairs, replacements, and infrastructure improvements needed to ensure safe and reliable service. In sum, Cost of Service simply means that the Proposed Rates must be based on what it truly costs the District to provide safe water to customer homes and businesses, and that customers only pay for the proportional cost of the water they use and the demands they place on the water system, as shown in the Rate Study.
The Rate Study concluded that
the District should update its methodology for calculating rates and charges to: (1) align with current legal and industry standards; and (2) fully recover the costs of providing Water Service, which have risen over the past five years ( e.g., pumping power, wholesale water purchases, costs of goods and services, and state-mandated drinking water compliance requirements). The Proposed Rates will help the District continue to fund needed capital improvements to deliver safe and reliable drinking water, strengthen fire service capacity, minimize water main breaks, maintain operational and financial stability, and prevent operating deficits and reserve shortfalls.
BASIS UPON WHICH THE PROPOSED RATES WERE CALCULATED
Water Rate Structure. T he District’s current and proposed rate structure consists of two components: (1) a monthly fixed service charge, imposed upon all customers based on the size or capacity of the meter serving the property , which covers the fixed cost of providing water service and maintaining water service avail ability; and (2) a variable/ volumetric water consumption charge (rate), based on the amount of water us ed by each customer during the billing period, measured per hundred cubic-feet (“hcf”). One hcf is equal to 748 gallons of water.
The Proposed Rates are projected to yield a revenue increase of 4.0% each year through fiscal year (FY) 2030-2031.
Rate Tables. Table 1 shows the changes that the District proposes to make to its monthly fixed
service charges and the changes proposed to be made to the water consumption (variable/volumetric) rates. Table 2 contains Drought Surcharges, which would only be added to the consumption rates shown in Table 1 (other than for recycled water) under the circumstances summarized below.
Monthly Service Charges
. Table 1 provides a side-by-side comparison of the District’s current and proposed new monthly fixed service charges. The proposed charges are designed as part of a rate structure consisting of 40% fixed revenue recovery and 60% volumetric revenue recovery. The fixed an d volumetric rate components allow the District to stabilize the revenue needed to provide safe and reliable Water Service while equitably allocating costs among customers.
3 Water Consumption Rates
. Table 1 also provides a side- by-side comparison of the District’s current water consumption (variable/volumetric) rates and shows the proposed new rates to be imposed for water consumption, unless drought conditions necessitate imposition of the surcharges outlined in the Drought Surcharges rate schedule as further explained below . The water consumption rates have been restructured so that all customer classes will have a uniform volumetric rate. The current two-tiered residential rate structure has been discontinued in favor of a single-tier structure to ensure the District’s costs of service are proportionally allocated among all customer classes in accordance with Proposition 218.
Table 1: Current and Proposed
Water Rates*
* Computed on a per hcf (hundred cubic feet) basis, which is a standard water consumption billing unit equal to 748 gallons of water.
Drought Surcharges
. The surcharges shown in Table 2 may be activated following notice and a public hearing if drought conditions at various response stages significantly reduce water usage and sales below levels necessary to sustain required rate revenues during the upcoming five-year period. Should dramatic climatic or regulatory changes necessitate activation of these surcharges, the District will send a written notice of imposition of Drought Surcharges to affected property owners at least thirty (30) days prior to the date any change becomes effective.
4 Table 2 – Drought Surcharge
s*
* Amounts shown would be added to the consumption/volumetric rates of all customers except those receiving recycled water Estimated Impact on Customer Bill. Although water consumption and meter sizes do vary, a typical single-family residential parcel with a ¾ inch meter connection (approximately 89% of all District customers) uses an average of 12 hcf (8,976 gallons) per month. A sample of billing impacts (comparing monthly bills based on the District’s current Water Service charges and rates to bills based on the Proposed Rates for fiscal year 2026-2027), is shown below in Chart A.
Chart A: Estimated Customer Monthly Bill Comparison (FY 2026 -2027)*
Water Usage
(hcf**)
Meter Size Customer Class Current Bill Proposed Bill
8 ¾” Single Family Residence $ 35.49 $ 42.82
12 ¾” Single Family Residence $ 45.25 $ 51.94
16 ¾” Single Family Residence $ 55.01 $ 61.06
36 1” Multi-Family Residence $126.60 $117.82
18 1” Commercial $ 83.04 $ 76.78
* Total amount for estimated bill impact is calculated using the new uniform rate. ** Water Usage in hcf is based on average consumption per meter size
HOW TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Proposed Rates shown in Tables 1 and 2, and the comparison in Chart A, are based on information and calculations from the Rate Study. The Rate Study also includes additional charts showing estimated customer billing impacts for fiscal years 2027-2028 through 2030-2031 and other information regarding the District’s Cost of Service analysis and how the Proposed Rates were calculated. The Rate Study is available for review at the District offices at City Hall, and online at: https://www.victorvilleca.gov/Government/Legally-Required-Postings. You may also call the District at (760) 245-6424 if you have additional questions.
HOW TO SUBMIT A
PROTEST: Any property owner of record of an identified parcel subject to the Proposed Rates (each an “Affected Parcel”), may submit a written protest (“Protest”). Only one Protest will be counted per identified parcel. To be valid, a Protest must: (1) state that the identified property owner is protesting the proposed water rate changes; (2) provide the location of the identified parcel (by street address or assessor’s parcel number); and (3) include the printed name and original signature of the submitting property owner.
Written protests may be submitted by mail to
the Victorville Water District, Secretary of the Board
at P.O. Box 5001, Victorville, CA 92392; or in person to the Victorville Water District, Secretary of the Board, 14343 Civic Drive, Victorville, CA 92392. Protests made by telephone, e-mail, social media, or other electronic means will not be accepted as a valid written protest. “Proposed Water Rates Protest” must be written or typed on the front of each envelope in which a protest is
5 submitted. Written protests may also be submitted at the July 21st, 2026 Public Hearing; however, in order to be counted, all written protests (whether mailed or submitted in person) must be received by the District prior to the close of the public comment portion of the Public Hearing. Oral protests at the public hearing will not qualify as a protest unless accompanied by a written protest.
At the Public Hearing, the Board will accept and consider all written protests and hear all oral comments on the Proposed
Rates. At the conclusion of the Public Hearing, the Board will consider adopting the proposed changes to the water rates and service charges described in this notice as follows:
1. If valid written protests
against the Proposed Rates are received for a majority of the Affected Parcels, the Board will not adopt the Proposed Rates.
2. Alternatively , if written protests are not received for a majority of the Affected Parcels, the Board may vote to adopt the Proposed Rates, provided all valid Legal Objections have also been reviewed and considered. If adopted, the Proposed Rates will be the maximum allowable rates for the Water Service described in this notice that the District may impose annually over the next five years, commencing as of August 1, 2026.
WRITTEN LEGAL OBJECTION PROCEDURE
Property owners wishing to preserve the ability
to legally challenge the Proposed Rates
described in this notice must file a written legal objection (“Legal Objection”) as described below no later than 12:00 pm (Noon) on Monday, July 20, 2026. Legal Objections will only be considered valid if they meet ALL of the following requirements:
o Must be in writing
;
o Must be filed separately from Protests;
o Must be received by the District Secretary no later than Monday, July 20, 2026 at 12:00 pm (Noon);
o Must be mailed to the Victorville Water District, Secretary of the Board at P.O. Box 5001, Victorville, CA 92392; hand delivered to the Victorville Water District, Secretary of the Board, 14343 Civic Drive, Victorville, CA 92392; or alternatively, may be emailed to [email protected].
o Must include the following information:
• The identified parcel (street address or assessor’s parcel number) subject to the Proposed Rates;
• The legal name of the objecting property owner;
• A statement that the communication is a Legal Objection to the proposed water rates (if submitted in an envelope, “Legal Objection to Proposed Water Rates” must be written or typed on the front of the envelope);
• A description of the nature of the L egal Objection, with sufficient specificity to allow the District to respond in writing. A statement that the Proposed Rates violate Proposition 218, are too high, or are illegal, without an explanation of the legal basis of the claim, will be insufficient to constitute a Legal Objection.
Failure to submit a
Legal Objection in accordance with the requirements set forth above will bar any right to challenge the Proposed Rates through a legal proceeding.
While the same person or entity may submit both a protest and a Legal Objection, in order to be valid, P
rotests and Legal Objections must be submitted separately and be clearly labeled as EITHER a Protest or a Legal Objection. Any written submission labeled as both a Protest and a Legal Objections shall be deemed invalid.
6 Prior to the close of the Public Hearing, the
District will review and respond in writing to any valid Legal Objections. Written responses to valid Legal Objections will be prepared and made available to the public prior to or at the Public Hearing on the Proposed Rates. Responses may be posted on the City’s website and made available through the District Secretary. Copies may also be provided upon request. The District’s response will explain the substantive basis for retaining or altering the Proposed Rates. The Board will receive and consider all written responses prior to adopting the Proposed Rates.
California Government Code Section 53759 specifies a 120-day statute of limitations for judicially challenging all rates set forth in this notice that runs from the effective date of the resolution adopting the Proposed Rates