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Escalon council begins annual process to reexamine landscape and lighting assessments after residents raise concerns
Summary
City staff presented engineer reports and proposed assessment adjustments for five Landscape and Lighting Maintenance Districts. Council adopted a resolution to begin the assessment process and residents from the Bellaterra neighborhood urged clearer accounting and advance notice ahead of possible increases.
The Escalon City Council voted to initiate the annual assessment process for five local Landscape and Lighting Maintenance Districts (LLMDs), directing staff to prepare engineer’s reports and proceed toward a public hearing in June to set final levy amounts.
Finance and public‑works staff presented line‑item assessments and historical expenses for five districts—Sunrise, Bellaterra, Westwood, The Estates (two subdivisions)—and explained how operating and replacement costs have risen. Staff said one district (Sunrise) has no automatic inflator and therefore cannot be administratively increased without a Proposition 218 ballot process; the others include annual inflators spelled out in their formation documents.
Several residents from the Bellaterra district spoke at the meeting and expressed frustration about a steep proposed increase and what they described as poor maintenance in recent years. Natalie…
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