Landscape cost impacts general fund budget
The cost of amenities long-enjoyed by Yorba Linda residents and visitors--attractively landscaped roadways, medians and slopes--again will impact the municipal budget, as City Council members work on a 2012-13 fiscal year spending plan.
Official figures won’t be available until after June 30, but the general fund contribution to citywide landscape maintenance, street lighting and traffic signal operation was estimated at $778,640 for the 2011-12 fiscal year, when the last budget was approved.
That’s in addition to a bit more than $6 million raised from assessments levied with the annual property tax rolls to pay expenses involving landscaping and lighting on major roadways, six local landscape zones, local street lighting and three traffic signal zones.
Expenses for the current year are expected to be $7.6 million, funded by the assessments collected with property taxes, the city’s general fund contribution, a transfer of $258,417 from reserves banked by two local landscape zones and $571,171 in other taxes.
Plus, one large homeowner association is contesting the assessments property owners have paid since 1980, according to Judy Murray, president of the Rancho Dominguez Community Association, who pegged total overpayments at $2 million.
Murray said the 218 properties in the single-family home development now pay about $185,000 each year in homeowner dues to maintain landscaping on slopes adjacent to Yorba Linda Boulevard, Yorba Ranch and Dominguez Ranch roads and Trailside Drive.
She noted “virtually all” of the $2 million paid into the city’s landscape assessment district has been for services not received, since her association “maintains the city-owned rights-of-way that are maintained for others through the [city-run district].”
“An HOA providing all of these services for themselves with HOA dues, should not be thrown into a benefit zone to subsidize the benefits for other properties,” Murray stated.
Her area’s landscape zone, L-2, contains 6,795 single-family residences, a multi-family parcel with 124 units, 21 commercial parcels, three schools and about 200 acres of park and rural land.
An engineer’s report scheduled for presentation at a June 19 council session might more equitably apportion costs if, as some officials suggest, L-2 is divided into 14 benefit zones, but a refund of past assessments could involve legal action. The association’s attorney is John Gullixson, a former three-term councilman.
Citywide, the owners of 21,347 single-family homes paid $49.60 for landscape and $1.31 for lighting on major roadways this year, and owners of 17,183 single-family homes paid $16.95 for local lighting. The city has 5,665 street lights.
The 63 signalized intersections are split into three zones: owners of 2,892 eastside single-family homes paid $2.98; owners of 18,455 western and central single-family homes paid $5.88; and owners of 62 Savi Ranch parcels paid a total $3,333.
Owners of 13,753 single-family homes in five landscape zones, mostly eastern, central and Vista Del Verde, paid from $82.55 to $449.73. The Savi Ranch parcels paid a total $19,984.
Official figures won’t be available until after June 30, but the general fund contribution to citywide landscape maintenance, street lighting and traffic signal operation was estimated at $778,640 for the 2011-12 fiscal year, when the last budget was approved.
That’s in addition to a bit more than $6 million raised from assessments levied with the annual property tax rolls to pay expenses involving landscaping and lighting on major roadways, six local landscape zones, local street lighting and three traffic signal zones.
Expenses for the current year are expected to be $7.6 million, funded by the assessments collected with property taxes, the city’s general fund contribution, a transfer of $258,417 from reserves banked by two local landscape zones and $571,171 in other taxes.
Plus, one large homeowner association is contesting the assessments property owners have paid since 1980, according to Judy Murray, president of the Rancho Dominguez Community Association, who pegged total overpayments at $2 million.
Murray said the 218 properties in the single-family home development now pay about $185,000 each year in homeowner dues to maintain landscaping on slopes adjacent to Yorba Linda Boulevard, Yorba Ranch and Dominguez Ranch roads and Trailside Drive.
She noted “virtually all” of the $2 million paid into the city’s landscape assessment district has been for services not received, since her association “maintains the city-owned rights-of-way that are maintained for others through the [city-run district].”
“An HOA providing all of these services for themselves with HOA dues, should not be thrown into a benefit zone to subsidize the benefits for other properties,” Murray stated.
Her area’s landscape zone, L-2, contains 6,795 single-family residences, a multi-family parcel with 124 units, 21 commercial parcels, three schools and about 200 acres of park and rural land.
An engineer’s report scheduled for presentation at a June 19 council session might more equitably apportion costs if, as some officials suggest, L-2 is divided into 14 benefit zones, but a refund of past assessments could involve legal action. The association’s attorney is John Gullixson, a former three-term councilman.
Citywide, the owners of 21,347 single-family homes paid $49.60 for landscape and $1.31 for lighting on major roadways this year, and owners of 17,183 single-family homes paid $16.95 for local lighting. The city has 5,665 street lights.
The 63 signalized intersections are split into three zones: owners of 2,892 eastside single-family homes paid $2.98; owners of 18,455 western and central single-family homes paid $5.88; and owners of 62 Savi Ranch parcels paid a total $3,333.
Owners of 13,753 single-family homes in five landscape zones, mostly eastern, central and Vista Del Verde, paid from $82.55 to $449.73. The Savi Ranch parcels paid a total $19,984.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 AM
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