Landscape, lighting fees on property tax bills
Property tax bills are arriving in mailboxes, giving residents a good look at some of the costs of local government on a per-home basis, but while the bills list bond and user fee outlays separately, city, school and other agency taxes are lumped into the “basic levy.”
Yorba Linda’s portion of the basic levy will bring in about $12.8 million this fiscal year, nearly 48 percent of $27 million in expected revenues, a number that doesn’t include the city Redevelopment Agency’s $21 million in additional project area property tax income.
City property taxes are assessed on close to 22,000 parcels, including 21,119 single-family residential, 60 multi-family, two mobile home and 404 commercial/industrial.
In addition to the $12.8 million slice of the basic levy, the city will collect $6 million more in “special assessment user fees” to pay expenses for 5,665 street lights, 63 signalized intersections, 14 arterial landscape areas and six local landscape zones.
Unfortunately, the $6 million in user fees to be collected this year won’t cover all costs for the lighting and landscaping that contribute to Yorba Linda’s upscale image, as the city expects to kick in an extra $778,640 from general fund reserves to cover expenses.
The biggest shortfall, $566,940, is expected in the arterial landscaping area, with most homeowners paying $49.60 this year. Other deficits include $123,357 for local street lighting, with most paying $16.95, and $29,834 for arterial lighting, with most paying $1.31.
One of three traffic signal zones, which includes nearly all residential parcels and for which most owners will pay $5.88, expects a $25,611 deficit, and one of six landscape zones, with 241 homes in the Arroyo Cajon Drive area, anticipates a $32,878 shortfall.
Most homeowners in five landscape zones, with 13,453 of the city’s 21,119 single-family parcels, will pay the following fees: $82.55, $176.90, $272.83, $302.70 and $310.68. The sixth zone has 62 commercial parcels in Savi Ranch, with owners paying a total $19,984.
The city created a lighting district in 1979 and five separate landscape districts 1980-88 before consolidating all into one district in 1994, with a single user fee tacked onto each year’s property tax bill. Previously, expenses were paid from the city’s general fund.
The user fees can increase each year, based on a consumer price increase calculation, but a vote of property owners, which can be conducted by mail, is needed to further boost the dollars collected. A 2008 vote to hike arterial landscape fees $44 lost by a 3-1 margin.
A FINAL NOTE: Yorba Lindans who worry about man’s contribution to global climate change might rest a bit easier, due to a report from a city-hired environmental consultant.
An analysis prior to adoption of the 2008-2014 Housing Element, which identified 14 properties for rezoning to higher densities to allow 1,027 multi-family units, noted “the proposed project would result in less than significant impacts to global climate change.”
Also stated in the report: “Adoption of the Housing Element would result in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 5.0 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per service population,” which is “less than the…threshold of 6.6 [tons] per service population.”
Yorba Linda’s portion of the basic levy will bring in about $12.8 million this fiscal year, nearly 48 percent of $27 million in expected revenues, a number that doesn’t include the city Redevelopment Agency’s $21 million in additional project area property tax income.
City property taxes are assessed on close to 22,000 parcels, including 21,119 single-family residential, 60 multi-family, two mobile home and 404 commercial/industrial.
In addition to the $12.8 million slice of the basic levy, the city will collect $6 million more in “special assessment user fees” to pay expenses for 5,665 street lights, 63 signalized intersections, 14 arterial landscape areas and six local landscape zones.
Unfortunately, the $6 million in user fees to be collected this year won’t cover all costs for the lighting and landscaping that contribute to Yorba Linda’s upscale image, as the city expects to kick in an extra $778,640 from general fund reserves to cover expenses.
The biggest shortfall, $566,940, is expected in the arterial landscaping area, with most homeowners paying $49.60 this year. Other deficits include $123,357 for local street lighting, with most paying $16.95, and $29,834 for arterial lighting, with most paying $1.31.
One of three traffic signal zones, which includes nearly all residential parcels and for which most owners will pay $5.88, expects a $25,611 deficit, and one of six landscape zones, with 241 homes in the Arroyo Cajon Drive area, anticipates a $32,878 shortfall.
Most homeowners in five landscape zones, with 13,453 of the city’s 21,119 single-family parcels, will pay the following fees: $82.55, $176.90, $272.83, $302.70 and $310.68. The sixth zone has 62 commercial parcels in Savi Ranch, with owners paying a total $19,984.
The city created a lighting district in 1979 and five separate landscape districts 1980-88 before consolidating all into one district in 1994, with a single user fee tacked onto each year’s property tax bill. Previously, expenses were paid from the city’s general fund.
The user fees can increase each year, based on a consumer price increase calculation, but a vote of property owners, which can be conducted by mail, is needed to further boost the dollars collected. A 2008 vote to hike arterial landscape fees $44 lost by a 3-1 margin.
A FINAL NOTE: Yorba Lindans who worry about man’s contribution to global climate change might rest a bit easier, due to a report from a city-hired environmental consultant.
An analysis prior to adoption of the 2008-2014 Housing Element, which identified 14 properties for rezoning to higher densities to allow 1,027 multi-family units, noted “the proposed project would result in less than significant impacts to global climate change.”
Also stated in the report: “Adoption of the Housing Element would result in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 5.0 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per service population,” which is “less than the…threshold of 6.6 [tons] per service population.”
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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