Property Owners Approve Park Maintenance Assessments for MacDonald, Perry Parks
Press Release from the Cosumnes Community Services District:
Property Owners Approve Park Maintenance Assessments for MacDonald, Perry Parks
Elk Grove, Calif. – In two separate mail ballot procedures, property owners in Perry Ranch and Camden Estates/Camden Pointe neighborhoods approved special benefit assessments to fund park maintenance at Perry Park and MacDonald Park, as well as nearby street landscaping. The vote results were tabulated and approved by the Cosumnes Community Services District (CSD) Board of Directors during its June 19 meeting, as required under Proposition 218.
“This outcome is a testament to property owners in these two neighborhoods, who expressed interest in CSD creating overlay assessment districts to restore and enhance maintenance services at their parks,” said Joshua Green, General Manager for Cosumnes CSD. “Not only will this funding enable CSD to restore watering, mowing and other landscape services, we will be able to plan for future equipment replacement and move forward with Phase 2 construction of MacDonald Park.”
Park maintenance throughout Elk Grove is funded by benefit assessments paid by property owners, known as Landscape and Lighting Assessments. The CSD is divided into 13 Benefit Zones (BZ), with assessment levels varying among BZs based on the special benefit provided to the property owners in that BZ.
BZ 3 (Elk Grove/West Vineyard), in which Perry Park and MacDonald are located, has one of the lowest assessments in the District, and has had a budget shortfall since Proposition 218 mail ballot procedures were unsuccessful in 2009. To address the shortfall in BZ 3 between maintenance funding and service costs, service levels for watering, mowing, pruning and equipment replacement were reduced and capital reserve funds used to balance the budget. The lack of maintenance funding also prevented completion of the construction of MacDonald Park, despite the fact that construction funds were available.
The two new assessments for Perry Park and MacDonald Park are known as overlay assessments because they provide additional funding for targeted areas within a larger benefit zone. Property owners will continue to pay their base district-wide assessment in addition to the new overlay assessment to provide increased maintenance funding for their neighborhood parks and streetscapes. There are currently four other overlay assessments benefiting six parks in the CSD.
The new assessment in Perry Ranch will range from $93 to $108 per household, generating approximately $63,000 annually for maintenance at Perry Park. The new assessment for Camden Estates/Camden Pointe will range from $156 to $173 per household, generating approximately $73,000 annually for maintenance at MacDonald Park.
Beginning on July 1, 2019, the new assessment funding will be used for the following at Perry and MacDonald Parks:
- Increased watering
- Restoration of mowing and pruning services
- Turf restoration
- Installation of mulch in shrub beds and along landscape corridors
- Repair and replacement of signs, tables, benches and trash cans
- Reserve funds for future asset replacement, such as shade structures and playground equipment
To learn more about park maintenance funding, please visit www.yourcsd.com/parkfunding.
The Cosumnes CSD serves an estimated 190,680 south Sacramento County residents in a 157-square mile area. Its award-winning parks and recreation services – including the operation of 97 CSD parks – operate exclusively within the Elk Grove community. It provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the cities of Elk Grove and Galt and unincorporated areas of south Sacramento County. Learn more at www.yourcsd.com.
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