HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 2025-05-27_09d Supplemental 1
MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
FROM: Jessica Matson, Director of Legislative & Information Services/
City Clerk
SUBJECT: Supplemental Information
Agenda Item 9.d. – May 27, 2025 City Council Meeting
Engineer’s Reports for Assessment Districts
DATE: May 27, 2025
Attached is public comment received prior to 2 p.m. for the above referenced item.
cc: City Manager
Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director
City Attorney
City Website and Public Review Binder
Enc
From:Claudine Lingo
To:Caren Ray Russom; Kate Secrest; Aileen Loe; Jamie Maraviglia; Jim Guthrie; Matt Downing; Bill Robeson
Cc:Jessica Matson
Subject:MAY 27, 2025 AGENDA ITEM 9.d - ENGINEERING REPORTS FOR ASSESSMENT DISTRICTS
Date:Thursday, May 22, 2025 9:20:07 PM
It looks like it is time, once again, to reduce the Grace Lane Assessment
District amount to align more closely with the actual need. I raised this
issue several years ago, and the assessment was reduced to more
accurately reflect the annual need/cost.
The estimated need for FY 2025-26 is $16,000; the estimated fund
balance from FY 2024-25 is slightly more than the $28,000. That fund
balance is more than is needed for FY 2025-26. The estimated fund
balance for FY 2025-26 is slightly more than $21,500.
The Grace Lane Assessment District annual property tax assessment
for FY 2025/26 for Grace Lane residents should be reduced rather than
continuing to grow the fund balance. I believe it is wise to have a little
cushion in the Grace Lane Assessment District’s appropriation in the
event the FY 2025/26 expenses are higher than currently anticipated in
light of the current economic uncertainty. However, a fund balance of
$21,500 seems to be excessive since the fund balance has been
growing for several years.
As some of you may know, the assessment district was created
because it was easier to impose an assessment on the new homes
being built on Grace Lane (on the pretense that Grace Lane residents
benefit from the open space but no one else does) instead of the City
paying for the maintenance or getting voter approval for a tax to fund
the open space maintenance.
So Grace Lane residents pay for something they don’t own (the open
space) and have no control relative to who has access to the open
space, and don’t even have property that abuts the open space. As you
know, some residents on Rodeo Dr. have actually built into the open
space since the open space is basically their back yards, and they don’t
pay into the assessment district. Of course, none of this was disclosed
when we bought our house. The only thing that was disclosed to us
(and probably all of the other Grace Lane home buyers) was that we
would have an assessment on our property tax bills.
Bottom line is that the assessment for FY 2025-26 should be reduced to
ensure the fund balance does not continue to grow beyond what is a
reasonable estimate of potential cost increases.
Sincerely,
Claudine Lingo
District 1 Resident