(A new tax at McSweeney tract)
A new tax at McSweeney tract goes to improvements and upkeep
McSweeney farms, a local housing tract, has, for some time, been preparing for an expansion, only recently having gotten approval for a developer to build structures allowing for large-scale irrigation that is a lynch-pin to expansion.
Now however, they have received approval to impose a tax that will be paid by the residents of the McSweeney tract itself. This tax, due in-part to the Mello-Roos Act of 1982, is intended to assist public agencies in financing certain public services. This special tax will be placed on the McSweeney district and will cover the costs associated with the maintenance of public improvements, specifically landscaping, street lights, street/curb/gutter maintenance, channel and detention basin facilities, and graffiti maintenance. The costs involves services for landscape maintenance including streetscapes, slopes and medians specifically. Covered as well are: landscaping materials such as turf, ground cover, shrubbery, trees, plants, irrigation and drainage systems, weed control and other abatements, energy, repair/replacement and inspection.
Maintenance, administration and inspection of the storm-water facilities and BMPs includes water-quality basins, and open-space areas. Litter and graffiti removal on sound walls and other amenities, plus normal painting as required are also included. That was a mouthful, but it’s good to know where your money’s going.
Down to the brass “tax.” The cost of the tax will be $155 – $1,705.00 per taxable unit per year for residential units and a “Maximum Special Tax” in the range of $1,522 – $ 1,603 per acre per-year for Multi-Family, Non-Residential and Undeveloped property. The upside to this whole situation is that this maintenance will have little to no fiscal impact on the city itself. Utilizing the Mello-Roos Act, the city won’t have to worry about the funding for McSweeney maintenance.
You can find the details of the tax and how it applies to you on the city’s website. If you want to weigh in on the topic, a public hearing on this matter will take place on December 10, 2019, and at that time City Council will hear any testimony concerning the formation of the tax, and take action to adopt the “Resolution of Formation.” If you want to know before then, speak to one of your council members! Above all else, they are here for us.
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