Street Lighting, Landscape Levy to Be Placed on Ballot

San Dimas voters in November will get a second chance to cast their ballots on an assessment to maintain street lights and landscaping that fell short of the margin required to pass four months ago.

The City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved placing the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot.

A similar measure that called for the continuation of the existing levy failed by 3% to win the required two-thirds of the vote in the March election.

To improve the assessment’s prospects at the polls, the council has agreed to cut the amount the owner of a typical single-family house would pay from $62 to $40 annually. The original assessment generated $861,000 a year, officials said. However, under the new assessment that amount would be reduced to about $400,000.

The city has already made up much of that difference in revenue by cutting expenses, including laying off four employees in May. Under Proposition 218, a statewide initiative approved by voters in November, all assessments must be approved by public votes.