San Mateo LAFCoOverview

Civics 101October 7, 2014

(Game 4 of National League Division Series)

Local Agency Formation Commission

• Created by State legislature in 1963• Seven Member - Independent commission with

authority over boundaries of cities and special districts, spheres of influence, municipal service reviews

• State mandated composition & funding formula (county, city, special district, public)

• May hire staff or contract for service

Types of Government

• State of California• Counties• Cities• Independent and Dependent Special

Districts• School Districts• Regional Government and Joint Powers

Authorities

Dependent v. IndependentDistricts

• Dependent – County or city governed (Crystal Springs County Sanitation District or Belmont Fire Protection District)

• Independent-District of limited powers governed by locally elected board of directors (Broadmoor Police District).

• (LAFCo does not have authority over school districts)

Enterprise v. Non-enterprise

• Enterprise versus non-enterprise operations• Enterprise-fee for service, such as sewer,

water, park and recreation programs• Non-enterprise services funded by property

tax because the service does not lend itself to fees such as police and fire service

Local GovernmentFinance in CA

• Proposition 13 - 1978• Educational Revenue Augmentation fund

(ERAF) 1991-92• Proposition 218 – 1996 (property related fees &

majority protest process)• Prop. 1A – 2004 Protect local taxes

Local Conditions:Local Government in San Mateo County

• County of San Mateo – dual roles• 20 cities• 23 independent special districts • 32 County- or city-governed districts(County Service Areas, Sanitation Districts)

LAFCo “Lens”

• Study boundaries/organization in context of State policies promoting logical boundaries, efficient delivery of services and elimination of overlapping agencies

• County distinguished from cities: As subdivision of State, primary role: Health, Human Services, Criminal Justice (State Mandated Programs)

• Where feasible, areas needing municipal services should annex to cities (State policy and county general plan)

LAFCo Powers56375

• Review, approve, deny, approve w/modifications or conditions annexations, detachments, formations, incorporations, dissolutions, reorganizations

• Initiate proposals for consolidation, merger, dissolution, subsidiary district if consistent with sphere determination. (May not initiate annexation or detachment)

• Prezoning required

Sphere of Influence56425

• A plan for the boundaries & governance of a City or Special District

• Sphere Review is not a proposal or application to dissolve a district

(As a planning tool, similar to a general plan primarily qualitative about an agency’s governance and service area)

• Required every five years

Municipal Service ReviewGCS 56430

• Required prior to or in conjunction with sphere of influence adoption or update sphere of influence

• Comprehensive review of all agencies providing identified service within designated geographic area (region or sub-region of county)

• Make written determinations re: infrastructure, population growth, financing, rates, shared facilities, cost avoidance, governance options, management efficiencies, local accountability

Why so many unincorporated areas?

• Local government finance (property tax distribution) historically a disincentive to annexation (exception – new development)

• Urban Legend: my taxes will go up if I annex to the city

• Urban legend: I don’t want sidewalks• Annexation is not even proposed as alternative• Best of both worlds, get city-like services but

stay in county….• There needs to be support from annexing city and

residents

Resources

• www.sanmateolafco.org• www.calafco.org(Guide to CKH Act on-line at calafco.org)• “What’s so special about special districts? Also

on calafco site.• League of Cities• CA Special Districts Assoc.• California Association of Counties