South Pasadena : Assessment District Plan

City officials are considering establishing assessment districts that would charge the average homeowner more than $200 annually for fire protection, landscaping and street lighting to make up a projected 1994 budget shortfall.

Tom Biesek, of the South Pasadena Taxpayers Assn., said the fees will cover up for poor city management and allow the City Council to effectively increase property taxes without a community vote.

Officials say a council vote is all that is needed to establish a lighting and landscaping district to raise the $1.2 million needed. Property owners would be taxed between $101 and $143 annually.

Residents would pay the fire assessment based on the type and size of their property, at an average of $88 for a single-family home, to raise an estimated $800,000.

Unlike lighting and landscaping, a fire suppression district could be put on the ballot if 5% of the residents owning affected property object by responding to a citywide mailer on the subject which, under law, must be sent to property owners.

Based on Gov. Pete Wilson’s budget proposal, the state will take back one-third of the $3.6 million in South Pasadena property tax revenue next year, City Manager Ken Farfsing said.

“Looking at that situation,” Farfsing said, “there is no way a budget could be put together without eliminating services short of these assessments.”