The City of Norco has adopted five Landscape Maintenance Districts (LMDs) in which property owners pay an annual assessment for enhanced landscaping and maintenance improvement projects beyond those generally provided by the city. Each LMD has its own funding source and is independent in terms of revenues generated, areas maintained, operation and maintenance costs, and special benefit zone boundaries.

The Landscape Maintenance District No. 2 assessment provides for landscaping along Norco Hills Road and Hidden Valley Parkway; maintenance of Norco Hills Park; maintenance of horse trails; landscape improvements along streets, slopes, medians, and entrances to the residential communities; and costs associated with water, electricity and contracted labor for tree trimming, gardening, litter control, weed abatement and other general maintenance services.

 

The Landscape Maintenance District No. 3 assessment provides for landscaping along Norco Hills Road; maintenance of horse trails; landscape improvements along streets, slopes, medians, and entrances to the residential communities; and costs associated with water, electricity and contracted labor for tree trimming, gardening, litter control, weed abatement and other general maintenance services.

Your Landscape Maintenance District is in a service-level deficit. Because the assessment rates in the neighborhoods have been outpaced by costs and the Landscape Maintenance District has a low fund balance, maintenance improvement projects, including trail fence replacement, can no longer take place in your neighborhood. Property owners are being asked to consider increasing the annual assessment rate to realign revenues with basic expenses to fund future landscape and maintenance improvement projects in your neighborhood.

The proposed LMD No. 2 assessment is calculated with a 16% increase, totaling an additional $134 per year.

 

The proposed LMD No. 3 assessment is calculated with a 19% increase, totaling an additional $238 per year.

If the ballot measure does not pass, property owners will continue to pay their current assessment rate and your Landscape Maintenance District will continue to be in a service-level deficit. As a result, there will be insufficient funding and no opportunity to invest in landscaping, fencing or maintenance improvements in your neighborhood.

This new revenue will be used to balance the service-level deficit so that landscape and maintenance improvement projects, including trail fence replacement, can resume in your neighborhood. This new revenue will only benefit your specific LMD and will only be used for general maintenance and improvement projects in your neighborhood.

Ballots will be mailed to every property owner in your Landscape Maintenance District on September 27, 2023. The ballot must be completed and returned to Norco City Hall by the public hearing date of November 15, 2023, at which time the returned ballots will be opened and counted during the public City Council Meeting.