City of Oxnard official seeks council hearing to levy Waterways Maintenance assessments; Harbor Island HOA to donate $10,000

Anthony Miller, Special Districts Manager with the City of Oxnard Public Works Department's Special Districts Division, presented a recommendation that the Finance and Governance Committee ask the City Council to hold a public hearing and adopt a resolution to levy assessments for the Waterways Maintenance District for fiscal year 2026-27 and to authorize agreement A-8620 to accept a donation from the Harbor Island Homeowners Association.

Miller told the committee the packet contains three staff recommendations: that the committee recommend the City Council (acting as the legislative body for the Waterways Maintenance District) hold a public hearing on the proposed assessments, adopt a resolution to levy the maintenance assessment on property within the district for FY 2026-27, and authorize approval of agreement A-8620. "The HOA has agreed to provide a $10,000 donation, which brings total projected revenues for Zone 2 to $57,949," Miller said.

The presentation placed the proposal in historical and legal context. Miller said Special Districts manages 50 special financing districts and that the Waterways Maintenance District was formed June 16, 1970, "pursuant to the Improvement Act of 1911." He noted the district includes two zones: Zone 1 (Mandalay Bay) and Zone 2 (Harbor Island). Miller said the district must follow the statutory and procedural requirement to review estimated maintenance costs and hold a public hearing before any levy is placed on the property tax roll.

Miller described Zone 2 as "significantly impacted by Proposition 218's cap on annual assessments and is experiencing severe budget shortfalls," and said the Harbor Island HOA has provided financial contributions in recent years to maintain service levels. He listed prior donations of $4,853 in fiscal year 2020-21, $15,446 in fiscal year 2023-24 and $17,400 in fiscal year 2025-26. For FY 2026-27 the HOA committed $10,000, raising projected Zone 2 revenues to $57,949; Miller said any expenses above projected revenues are proposed to be funded from available fund balance.

Miller told the committee that proposed assessment rates for 2026-27 are identified in the packet and "are not expected to change for fiscal year 2026-27" because the district levied a maximum assessment in 2025-26 and has no approved annual adjustment. He also said the deadline to deliver assessment information to Ventura County for inclusion on the FY 2026-27 property tax roll is July 6, 2026.

On the question of fiscal impact, Miller said property owners pay the assessments as part of their annual property tax bill, that the assessment was approved by property owners through prior proceedings, and that funds received for the benefit of the district are restricted to district services with no impact to the city's general fund.

The presentation packet referenced projected maintenance costs for FY 2026-27 but the detailed line items were not read into the provided transcript. The transcript ends with the presenter opening the floor for questions; no questions or committee votes are recorded in the provided excerpt. The committee's recommendation, as described by Miller, will be forwarded to City Council for the required public hearing and any subsequent action.