Council approves Gears Ranch CFDs, property owners vote to authorize special taxes
June 03, 2026 | Murrieta City, Riverside County, California
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The Murrieta City Council on June 2 certified property-owner election results and introduced an ordinance authorizing special taxes for the proposed Gears Ranch Community Facilities District (CFD 2026-1) and annexations to the city's maintenance and safety CFDs.
City staff and the city’s CFD consultant presented the proposal for a roughly 16.75-acre Gears Ranch residential project expected to produce about 107 single-family homes, with three product-size bands. The financing plan calls for bond proceeds (maximum bonded indebtedness up to $8 million) to build and acquire public facilities, and to pay developer mitigation for the city, water district and school district (combined estimated mitigation ~$4.6 million).
The proposed CFD structure and special tax rates presented at the hearing: an annual special tax for facilities ranging roughly $3,560–$4,790 depending on home size (capped at about a 1.83% effective tax rate), an annual maintenance-services special tax estimated at $376 per unit (annual escalator: CPI or 2% whichever is greater), and an annual public-safety special tax of $580 per unit (4% escalator). Staff explained these special taxes are paid by properties inside the CFD only and not by the broader city.
Property-owner ballots cast for the election were reported in the hearing; the city clerk confirmed ballots favored the propositions. Council certified the election results, adopted the required resolutions, and introduced Ordinance No. 636-26 to authorize the levy of the special tax formula; motions carried with the recorded property-owner election tallies. Staff said the ordinance will return for a second reading and final adoption at the next scheduled meeting.
Council members asked for and received clarifications about tax timing and what units would pay; a consultant explained the $4,179 figure referenced at the hearing was an annual amount for the largest homes, not a monthly charge. The consultant estimated average home sales prices for the project in the $716,000–$730,000 range.
Council also approved the annexations into the two citywide CFDs for maintenance and safety services; the ballot results for those annexations were certified and related resolutions carried. Staff said maintenance and safety special taxes will escalate per the identified formulas and will fund landscape, street, park/trail maintenance, graffiti abatement, police, fire and paramedic service impacts for the new development.
Council certified the property-owner elections and introduced the CFD ordinance (No. 636-26); second reading and additional steps will follow as the project proceeds.
City staff and the city’s CFD consultant presented the proposal for a roughly 16.75-acre Gears Ranch residential project expected to produce about 107 single-family homes, with three product-size bands. The financing plan calls for bond proceeds (maximum bonded indebtedness up to $8 million) to build and acquire public facilities, and to pay developer mitigation for the city, water district and school district (combined estimated mitigation ~$4.6 million).
The proposed CFD structure and special tax rates presented at the hearing: an annual special tax for facilities ranging roughly $3,560–$4,790 depending on home size (capped at about a 1.83% effective tax rate), an annual maintenance-services special tax estimated at $376 per unit (annual escalator: CPI or 2% whichever is greater), and an annual public-safety special tax of $580 per unit (4% escalator). Staff explained these special taxes are paid by properties inside the CFD only and not by the broader city.
Property-owner ballots cast for the election were reported in the hearing; the city clerk confirmed ballots favored the propositions. Council certified the election results, adopted the required resolutions, and introduced Ordinance No. 636-26 to authorize the levy of the special tax formula; motions carried with the recorded property-owner election tallies. Staff said the ordinance will return for a second reading and final adoption at the next scheduled meeting.
Council members asked for and received clarifications about tax timing and what units would pay; a consultant explained the $4,179 figure referenced at the hearing was an annual amount for the largest homes, not a monthly charge. The consultant estimated average home sales prices for the project in the $716,000–$730,000 range.
Council also approved the annexations into the two citywide CFDs for maintenance and safety services; the ballot results for those annexations were certified and related resolutions carried. Staff said maintenance and safety special taxes will escalate per the identified formulas and will fund landscape, street, park/trail maintenance, graffiti abatement, police, fire and paramedic service impacts for the new development.
Council certified the property-owner elections and introduced the CFD ordinance (No. 636-26); second reading and additional steps will follow as the project proceeds.
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