Countywide : City Awaits Hearing Date on Annexation

It has taken four years to get to this point, but the final step for the annexation of North Laguna Hills is expected to go smoothly.

Laguna Hills officials hope that the Local Agency Formation Commission, a county agency with the final word on annexations, will schedule a hearing on question by October.

With the four-year-long negotiations with the county over division of tax revenue now behind them, city officials are just waiting for the commission to set a hearing date.

“LAFCO does have final discretionary powers,” Assistant City Manager Don White said. “But our major obstacle to the annexation was certainly the agreement with the county.”

The two sides came to a final agreement on the tax issue two weeks ago. Laguna Hills will keep almost all of the taxes, about $1.5 million annually, and the county will retain 82% of property tax revenue, or about $460,000 each year.

Once tax sources such as gasoline and cigarette sales are figured in, Laguna Hills will see about $2.5 million in annual tax revenue.

The annexation of the 755-acre area will affect about 5,000 residents. Anyone opposed to the annexation will have an opportunity to speak at the LAFCO hearing, but organized opposition has yet to surface.

If approved by LAFCO, the annexation would be official on July 1, 1996.