Board rejects proposed CFD special-tax increase after public concern about homeowner and developer impact

The governing board voted down a resolution to establish annual special-tax rates for Community Facilities Districts (CFDs) Nos. 2 and 3 for fiscal year 2026–27 after public comment questioned the impact on homeowners and development.

Key Analytics analyst Eileen Lou summarized how CFDs collect special taxes from property owners to mitigate the impact of bonds issued for school facilities; she noted rates typically escalate about 2% per year and that exact impacts vary by parcel size. Eileen Lou offered to provide a breakdown of dollar impacts to homeowners after the meeting.

Public commenters including Brandon Placencia and others urged caution, warning that raising developer fees and taxes could discourage builders at a time when Otay Mesa is expected to grow. They requested transparent, itemized impact estimates for different home sizes and a clear explanation of which funds are restricted to bond projects versus the general fund.

After discussion, the resolution (cited in the agenda as Resolution 2526-0048) failed on a board vote (recorded as 1 yes, 2 no). Board members said the district will supply homeowners with specific impact tables on request.

Next steps: Chief Business Official Marilyn Adriansen and Key Analytics will prepare and share a homeowner-impact breakdown and a comparison of last fiscal year to the proposed rates.