LIVE OAK, CA (MPG) - At the July 16 meeting, the Live Oak City Council held a public hearing to consider adding past-due water and sewer accounts to the Solano County property tax roll, for collection as liens against the properties.

There were two delinquent accounts, with a cumulative total of $1,133 owed to the city for water and sewer services. 

Finance Director James Ramsey said notices were sent to both property owners informing them of the past-due amounts and the date of this public hearing. 

There were no public comments and the City Council voted 4-0 to approve the liens, with Councilmember Nancy Santana abstaining due to arriving late and missing the staff report. 

A public hearing was also held to consider the same process for delinquent Recology accounts, with a cumulative total of $45,961 in unpaid garbage services. There were no public comments and the council unanimously approved the property liens for collection through the property tax roll.  

City Council then considered the annual fire protection and street lighting assessments, which are levied as special assessments through property taxes. The collected revenues are put toward the services provided, reducing the cost to the General Fund. 

Finance Director Ramsey explained that the fire assessment is charged at three cents per square foot of each dwelling, with $134,651 collected annually for fire services. 

The street lighting assessment is based on radius distance of the lot to the nearest light pole, with $54,368 collected annually for street light maintenance and operation. 

City Manager Ben Moody said the assessments are capped with no inflation, so the rates are not changing. 

The council approved the assessments 4-1, with Councilmember Santana dissenting without any discussion. 

Next, the council considered Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Assessments for Community Facilities District (CFD) 92-1, which taxes property parcels for 30 years from the date when building permits were pulled.  

The assessments are collected through the property tax roll and used by the city for restricted purposes. The annual revenues are estimated at $112,968. Of that total, $75,689 will be forwarded to the Live Oak Unified School District for capital projects or maintenance. The remaining $37,279 covers a portion of the city’s animal control costs.

The council approved the assessments 4-1, with Santana again dissenting without discussion.  

Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Assessments for Community Facilities District (CFD) 2004-1 were also considered, with a recommended 2.5% increase. 

Ramsey explained that these assessments are collected through the tax roll to help cover the cost of services to 849 parcels in that district, which include the Kristen Court Apartments and the following subdivisions: Pennington Ranch (phases I-V), Peachtree III, Garden Glen, Sand Piper and Walnut View. 

With the rate of inflation, costs for services have increased year over year, said Ramsey, especially for fire and police services. An increased assessment would allow the city to better cover the costs of service for that area. 

The rate for a single-family home has been assessed in that district at $909.56 per year since 2006. The proposed increase of 2.5% would amount to approximately $1.89 more per month per parcel. 

City Manager Moody said a maximum inflation factor of 5% per year is allowable, with a maximum of $2,298 per parcel. But this increase doesn’t come close to that rate. The 2.5% increase would help to meet the rate of inflation and cover actual costs. 

“Incremental change” is “key for good government, sustainable government,” Moody said.  

“If you’re not covering inflation, costs continue to rise and you’re not adjusting,” said Moody. “So, the dollars received are a loss every year if you’re not adjusting for it.”

Councilmember Ashley Hernandez said, “I feel good about keeping up with inflation, so I think that’s pretty industry standard.”

The council approved the assessments with the increased rate on a 3-2 vote, with Santana and Vice-Mayor Aaron Pamma dissenting. 

During city manager updates, Moody shared a report about illegal fireworks over the July 4th holiday, stating that there were less incidents throughout the county than in previous years. But he said the Sutter County Sheriff’s Department issued three citations for illegal fireworks and there was a structure fire along Highway 99. 

Santana suggested the city could arrange a parade and official fireworks display to reduce the usage of illegal fireworks. She added that other cities impose large fines for illegal fireworks, which could make residents take the issue more seriously. 

The next Live Oak City Council meeting is scheduled for Aug. 6.