Ventura —The City Council, on Tuesday, June 9, presented its Annual Assessment Rate for Fiscal Year (FY) 26/27, for Street Lighting District 36, which the Council unanimously approved.
PRINCIPAL Transportation Engineer Jeff Hereford presented the item, along with the Public Works Director Charles Eberling.
Hereford said it’s an Annual Public Hearing to conduct street light assessments for the next FY and to pay for the operating costs of nearly 9,000 streetlights.
“That’s approximately 95 percent of the street lights in the City,” he said. “The boundaries of District 36 generally encompass the entire City, except for Districts where new developments have occurred, due to Proposition 218.”
Most streetlights are owned by Southern California Edison (SCE), and typical residential properties paid about $31 a year in years past.
He said the Base Assessment Rates have not changed since FY 95-96, and they can’t be changed without meeting Prop 218 requirements.
“Since 2002, the expenses to operate District 36 have exceeded revenues,” he said. “The District 36 Fund Balance covered the shortfall until FY2007-2008, when the City’s general fund began covering the shortfall.”
For FY 27, he said revenues are projected at $869,297, expenses are estimated at $1.48 million, resulting in…
