Council sets June 24 hearing for Hilltop Landscaping assessment, creates ad hoc to study district equity after heated debate

City staff and a consulting engineer on June 3 presented a draft engineer’s report proposing the annual assessment for the Hilltop Landscape Maintenance District for fiscal year 2025–26. The report estimated total assessments across the district at about $1,260,000 and calculated the legally required “general benefit” portion at roughly $88,878.

Edrick Kwan of SCI Consulting Group explained the Proposition 218–required separation between special benefits that can be assessed to property owners and general benefits that the city must fund. He told the council the district’s 2025–26 draft budget includes a staff and operations component and that the city had historically contributed amounts greater than the minimum required. Staff proposed a $250,360 cash contribution from the general fund for the coming year and noted the city pays about 25% of salaries for district staff.

The presentation and public comments prompted prolonged council discussion about equity between special assessment districts and the rest of the city. Vice Mayor Zepeda was the most vocal critic, calling for a detailed review and questioning historical allocations and the calculation of the city’s contribution. Several council members, including Council Member Robinson and Council Member Brown, asked staff to produce a cross‑city assessment of baseline maintenance needs and the cost of providing a citywide standard of service.

After debate, the council adopted a resolution approving the preliminary engineer’s report and setting a public hearing for June 24. The council also directed the mayor and staff to create an ad hoc group to study long‑term equity questions and recommendations for special assessment districts; that motion passed with a single no vote from Vice Mayor Zepeda.

Staff emphasized that the action was preliminary: the June 24 hearing will be the final public hearing on the proposed assessments and is required before the city can place 2025–26 assessments on the county property tax roll. Robert Armijo of Public Works said staff will correct editorial errors in the draft report and will provide answers to specific requests from council members prior to the final hearing.

What happened: the council advanced the assessment process while committing to a city‑wide review of how special district revenues, city subsidies and baseline services are calculated and delivered.