LAFCO backs state bill to ease special‑district dissolutions though San Francisco currently has no special districts

The San Francisco Local Agency Formation Commission adopted a resolution supporting state legislation (SB 938) that would raise the threshold for constituents to force a public vote when LAFCO initiates the dissolution of a special district from 10% to 25%, in specified circumstances such as documented board dysfunction or financial impropriety.

Executive Officer Jeremy Pollack explained the bill originated with the California Association of LAFCOs (CALAFCO) and responds to concerns that the existing 10% protest threshold can deter LAFCOs from pursuing dissolutions of failing or redundant special districts due to the costs of a public election. Pollack noted the bill grew from a 2017 Little Hoover Commission report and is sponsored by State Senator Robert Hertzberg.

General counsel clarified that San Francisco currently has no special districts under LAFCO jurisdiction; entities sometimes colloquially called “districts” (for example, BART and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District) were created by the state legislature or are joint powers authorities and therefore fall outside SF LAFCO’s statutory jurisdiction. Commissioners approved the resolution in support of SB 938 by unanimous roll call.