Mosquito, Pollution Levies OKd

Ventura County supervisors on Tuesday agreed to tax property owners up to $14 annually to control mosquitoes and to keep the county’s streams and rivers free of pollution.

But the board stopped short of assessing homeowners an additional $4 to $15 annually to make up for funds that the state plans to take away from the county’s Flood Control District.

Saying the flood control tax would send the wrong message to the state Capitol, the supervisors turned down the district’s request to force property owners to offset a projected $3.4-million loss in state funding. The move puts on hold plans to build new storm drains throughout the county.

“We would be saying to Sacramento, ‘OK, take the funds, we are going to make it up somehow,’ ” Supervisor Susan K. Lacey said, although she added: “There is a concern that we will not be doing real projects that are needed.”

Supervisor Maggie Kildee said, “We have to give the message to Sacramento that we cannot afford for them to make the property tax shift.”

But the supervisors unanimously agreed that they had no choice but to implement a special assessment to pay for a federally mandated program to keep county waterways free of pollution.

The tax--which ranges from $4 to $13 per property--will be levied on 220,000 parcels throughout the county. Officials said the special assessment is the only way they can raise funds to meet the federal law.

County Public Works Director Art Goulet, who supervises removal of pollution from county waterways, said: “I don’t think the board has a choice but to continue with the (pollution control) programs.”

For mosquito control, the board also voted unanimously to levy a $1.12 tax on property owners in the unincorporated areas of the county and in Thousand Oaks, Fillmore, Ojai, Port Hueneme, Ventura and Santa Paula.

Moorpark already has a mosquito abatement district and officials in Oxnard and in Simi Valley have agreed to pay for the services from city coffers. Camarillo officials have yet to decide whether to allow the county to tax property owners there to control mosquitoes, which can spread disease.

“It’s a matter of health,” Supervisor John K. Flynn said.

County officials will send out notices within the next few weeks informing property owners of their intent to implement the special assessments. The residents will then be given an opportunity to protest the measures at a public hearing.

Under the state law governing special assessment districts, a majority of property owners would have to petition against the mosquito abatement tax to put the measure to a public vote. However, officials said, state law does not allow for property owners to force an election on the pollution control assessment.

The supervisors are expected to give final approval to the assessments by the end of June. The charges would then appear on December tax bills.

In coming weeks, the board will face similar decisions on a variety of agencies--including the county Fire Department and Library Services Agency--that want to shore up their budgets with special assessments on property.

At a time when the state is considering cutting funds to local governments by $2.6 billion, officials said the choice is simple: Cut services or raise taxes.

Michael Saliba, executive director of the Ventura County Taxpayers Assn., said he was pleased that the supervisors chose to hold off on implementing the tax for the Flood Control District.

Although services will suffer, he said: “We need to send that message to the state.”