Yorba Linda's roadway landscaping, street lights, traffic signals to cost nearly $11 million this year

Keeping Yorba Linda's roadways landscaped and lighted with street traffic guided by properly functioning traffic signals will cost close to $11 million for the new fiscal year that began July 1.

And the greater portion of that cost, some $7 million, will be paid through assessments on this year's property tax bills for owners of 22,438 properties on the rolls of the county tax assessor.

And again, a large share of the $7 million will be paid by property owners in 34 local landscaping zones, mostly located on the city's northern border and on the eastside.

The zones include 12,445 single-family residences and 593 multi-family units, representing 57 percent of the city's 21,686 single-family residences and 51 percent of 1,152 multi-family units.

Properties in these zones receive “special benefits” from the landscaping, so assessment totals vary, ranging from $46.28 to $1,007.52 per parcel for the year. Special benefits are largely “aesthetic,” allowing residents “a more pleasant environment to walk, drive, live and work.”

That description and financial matters associated with the city's Street Lighting and Landscape Maintenance District – created in stages from 1979 through 1990 – are included in a 255-page report from Willdan Financial Services, the city's consultant on landscape and lighting issues.

As recently as 2012, the city had six local landscape zones, but at the urging of many property owners in these larger zones, the number has expanded through the years to the current 34 to better define the special benefits received and more fairly appropriation the costs involved.

Another problem area is the increasing costs of maintenance in some of the zones, with the expense in some zones subsidized from the city's general fund because not enough money was raised from the assessments attached to the property tax rolls.

Other than an annual cost-of-living adjustment, rates could not be raised without a vote of affected property owners. Some zones passed higher rates, while others turned down the proposed increases.

Resident-requested re-votes approved higher rates in some defeated zones, when it became apparent the city would cut maintenance to the level funded by the property tax assessments.

All city properties are in an arterial landscape zone maintaining major thoroughfares ($55.90 per parcel) and an arterial street lighting zone ($1.48 per parcel). Most parcels are in the local lighting zone ($19.11 per parcel) and one of three traffic signal zones (most $5.50 per parcel).

The city has 1,079 arterial street lights, 4,954 local street lights and 69 signalized intersections.

Funding for the $4 million not paid through the property tax assessments comes from the city's general fund through a “general benefit” payment ($932,374), other city-related sources (about $1.5 million) and an “additional city contribution and/or service reductions” (about $1.5 million).