MCRPD chair urges LAFCO to expand municipal-service review to include tax-apportionment analysis

Dave Schbach, chairman of the Mendocino Coast Recreation and Park District, told the Mendocino Local Agency Formation Commission at its April 6 meeting that the district needs a municipal service review (MSR) scope aligned with “mission critical and existential challenges.” He urged LAFCO to consider including property-tax apportionment analysis in the MSR for the Mendocino Coast Recreation and Park District given what he described as atypical financial conditions.

Schbach said the district’s circumstances over the past 18 years include bankruptcy, major facility forfeitures, “45% annual property-tax revenue diversion,” and “two grand jury investigations,” and that those developments make the district’s review needs atypical compared with standard MSR scopes. He told the commission he and the district had asked the county auditor-controller for assistance and that the auditor had declined, suggesting the district apply for annexation or detachment before providing certain tax-rate-area analyses.

Executive Officer Hinman and commissioners discussed alternatives raised in the minutes Schbach cited: using county auditor-controller resources if available, contracting with private firms that sell apportionment data, or cost-sharing MSR work. Hinman noted that some third-party vendors sell tax-allocation reports but that the county auditor’s office can sometimes supply public-agency analyses or guidance on how best to proceed.

Commissioners suggested the executive committee discuss the scope question and determine whether to agendize a separate item at a future full commission meeting. Chair Mo Mulheren and Commissioner Gerald Ward indicated the executive committee review would be an appropriate next step before any full-commission action. Schbach said the district was willing to cost-share expanded MSR work and offered to participate in further discussions.

The exchange concluded without a formal commission vote; commissioners asked staff to place the matter on a future agenda or have the executive committee evaluate the request and report back.