City officials have authorized for the first week of October a previously postponed mail-in vote on whether to reallocate street lighting assessment fees. Residents will vote on a reorganization that would make the payments correspond fairly to the benefits received.
The City Council has created three new lighting assessment zones to replace lighting districts established in the 1970s. Residents will be sent mail-in ballots later this year to decide whether or not to approve changes to fees for street lighting. Lighting costs about $1.15 million a year.
Despite strong backing from the Santa Anita Oaks Homeowners Association, a proposal to replace existing street lights with new ornamental lights was overwhelmingly rejected by residents in a mail-in ballot election. All Arcadia residents will vote on new street lighting assessments in July. Under that measure, all households would pay one of three yearly assessment fees, depending on how they benefit from street lights.
The city is asking residents to vote by mail by July 15 on a plan that would change the way the city splits the cost of street lighting. The city expects street lighting to cost about $1.15 million next year. Single-family homes on lighted streets would pay the most, $25.70 a year. Under the proposal, the assessments would no longer be tied to the value of a home but rather to the benefits that residents receive from street lights. If voters reject the plan, the current lighting assessment districts will expire in 2010. If that happens, the city will be responsible for paying the entire costs of street lighting.
Arcadia residents may vote again on street lighting fees. Under the new proposal, single family homes on arterial streets would pay about $17 a year, while those not on arterial streets would pay about $27 a year, making the assessments more fair. Voters in 2008 rejected a proposal to fund the lighting and now the city is considering another mail-in vote.
Arcadia property owners will be asked to renew a street lighting fee schedule and assessment in June, when funding is set to expire. Officials warned that without an extension of the lighting assessment district, the city would lose about $420,000 a year. Unless the assessment is renewed, the city might have to cut services such as police protection, fire and emergency medical response services, library services, and recreation programs. Arcadia property owners currently pay 40% of street lighting repair and maintenance costs, while the city covers the other 60%. That would remain unchanged in the new assessment district, but the amounts each household pays will be different. Family households in residential neighborhoods will be charged $28.44 a year, while single-family homes along major thoroughfares will pay $16.73 a year.
Arcadia mail-in voters reject proposal for new lighting assessment districts. Under the proposal, the single-family homes on well-lit streets would pay up for $24 a year. Those with "sporadic" lighting would pay up to $10.12 a year, while homes on streets without lights would pay nothing. The current lighting assessment districts expire in 2010. Out of 14,600 ballots sent out, about 1/3 were returned. The proposal failed by 70 votes. 2,457 ballots voted yes and 2,530 voted no.
Arcadia property owners voted to continue paying for a portion of their street lights under a new formula after lighting district funds expired in June. 66% of the vote was cast in favor of extending about $428,600 of annual funding to maintain and repair street lights. A similar proposal on the ballot failed less than 2 years ago.
Arcadia's energy efficient street lighting program to start next month. Southern California Edison (SCE) is replacing SCE-owned inefficient High Pressure Sodium (HPS) street lights with energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights. Conversion to LED technology will help reduce energy usage and cost by approximately $11,500 annually.
1) City of Arcadia. Assessment Roll. Handwritten ledger. 1909/1910-1912/1913.
2) City of Arcadia. Assessment Roll. Handwritten ledger. 1913/14-1915/16.
Items were transferred from Arcadia City Hall on September 17, 2008.
1) City of Arcadia. Assessment Roll. Handwritten ledger. 1909/1910-1912/1913.
2) City of Arcadia. Assessment Roll. Handwritten ledger. 1913/14-1915/16.
Items were transferred from Arcadia City Hall on September 17, 2008.
1) City of Arcadia. Assessment Roll. Handwritten ledger. 1916/1917.
2) City of Arcadia. Assessment Roll. Handwritten ledger. 1917/1918.
Items were transferred from Arcadia City Hall on September 17, 2008.
1) City of Arcadia. Assessment Roll. Handwritten ledger. 1916/1917.
2) City of Arcadia. Assessment Roll. Handwritten ledger. 1917/1918.
Items were transferred from Arcadia City Hall on September 17, 2008.
City of Arcadia. Assessment books of the property in the City of Arcadia. Includes legal description, last known owner, value of land, taxes paid. 101 A. Book 1. Assessment no. 1-728. Tax year 1948/49-1954/55. Book 2. Assessment no.729-1721. Tax year 1948/49-1954/55.
101 B. Book 3. Assessment…
School district gets CAP test scores. Although Arcadia students remained comfortably above the 80th percentile in most categories in California Assessment Program test scores, the influx of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students into the district is having a definite impact. In 1976, there were 63 limited or non-English speaking students in Arcadia school district. As of October 1 this year, 539 students are in the LEP program. 78% of LEP students are Asian; 14 % are Spanish, 2 % European, with the remainder from other cultures. Fifteen languages are represented. See hard copy in Box 51.
In an attempt to produce permanent revenue enhancement, the City Council has agreed to go to ballot with a Fire Suppression District assessment which would ask property owners to tax themselves to achieve a balanced budget.