Special districts manager outlines proposed FY 2026-27 assessments for Oxnard landscape maintenance districts

Anthony Miller, special districts manager for the City of Oxnard Public Works Department’s Special Districts Division, presented the proposed fiscal year 2026-27 assessments for the city’s landscape maintenance districts and recommended the City Council hold a public hearing on the proposed rates and then adopt a resolution confirming the diagrams and assessments.

Miller said the proposed levy process follows the Landscape and Lighting Act of 1972 and Streets and Highways Code Section 22500, which require the council to conduct proceedings each year to levy assessments that are collected on the property tax roll. He noted the council initiated the FY 2026-27 proceedings on June 1, 2026 by adopting resolutions and approving the engineer’s report that accompanies the levy.

The engineer’s report, Miller said, describes the public improvements in each district, the proposed service levels, estimated annual expenses, project funding, the method of assessment apportionment for each parcel, and diagrams of parcels within each district. He explained applied assessment rates are calculated after an analysis of each district’s financial status and that applied rates may not exceed maximum rates previously approved by property owners.

Miller said services and applied rates vary across the 36 landscape maintenance districts and that the report separates costs considered general benefit (which the city proposes to cover from the general fund) from special-benefit costs funded by assessments. The proposed FY 2026-27 operating budget includes funds to cover those general-benefit costs and a general-fund subsidy is proposed for utility overages where applicable.

Two districts were highlighted for additional attention: LMD 25 (The Point) is projected to finish FY 2026-27 with an estimated negative fund balance of $426, and LMD 53 (Huff Court) with an estimated negative fund balance of $2,017. Miller said staff will notify property owners in those districts about steps and options available to address the shortfalls.

Miller gave consolidated financial figures for the LMD program in FY 2026-27: proposed real property assessments of $2,435,030 (rounded); interest income of $60,927 (rounded); a general-benefit contribution from the general fund of $217,455 (rounded); and a general-fund subsidy for utility overages of $73,105 (rounded). He noted parcel-level detail is available from the City Clerk and on the city’s website and said the deadline to submit assessment information to Ventura County is July 6, 2026.

The presentation concluded with Miller inviting questions and directing stakeholders to the consolidated engineer’s report for district-specific information. No formal council vote on a confirmation resolution is recorded in this presentation; Miller’s remarks were a recommendation that the council proceed with the required public hearing and subsequent resolution if it chooses to adopt one.