Special Tax Results to Be Revealed Tonight

The results from a mail-in ballot that asks property owners whether they will support a special tax will be released at tonight’s City Council meeting.

The assessments that have helped to pay for the city’s highly regarded public maintenance program were halted by the November passage of Proposition 218, a statewide measure that requires cities to obtain permission from property owners to continue such collections.

The city’s assessment districts have helped pay for lighting, park maintenance, landscaping and other services since 1983.

Since Proposition 218 took effect, voters in Garden Grove and Yorba Linda have approved assessments in their cities, but residents of San Clemente and Stanton have defeated them.

In Irvine, the ballot asks property owners if they are willing to continue paying about $41.05 a year. About 35,000 commercial and residential property owners received the ballots in June.

Results were still being tabulated Monday, and officials said they expect ballots to continue coming in as late as today.

City Manager Paul Brady said that the assessment district, if passed, will account for $1.5 million of the $15-million public works budget. Last year, the district provided $3 million to the budget. The City Council allocated money from other sources to cover the difference.

If voters end the assessment district, the level of service might decline a bit, but the physical appearance of the city won’t be seriously compromised, Brady said.

Today’s council meeting will begin at 4 p.m., followed by a public legislative session at 5:30 p.m. Both will be at City Hall, 1 Civic Center Plaza.

Information: (714) 724-6000.