Simi Valley council introduces 5-year sanitation rate increases after protest ballots fall short

The Simi Valley City Council on May 5 introduced for first reading an ordinance that would raise sanitation rates an average of 3.5% annually for five fiscal years, beginning in 2025–26.

The rate package, presented by Public Works Director Ron Fujiwaki, would fund a multi-year capital program for the city’s aging sanitation system and water quality control plant. Fujiwaki told the council the increases respond primarily to infrastructure needs and that sanitation operates as a self-supporting enterprise fund paid for by user fees.

Council members and staff emphasized the scale of planned capital work as the principal driver. Fujiwaki said the city plans “to repair and rehabilitate the sanitation infrastructure, such as the sewer lines and the processing equipment at the water quality control plant,” and noted an estimated multi‑year capital program the staff characterized as sizable.

The city mailed about 38,000 Proposition 218 protest ballots to property owners and, as of the meeting, had received 472 protest ballots. Council staff told the council the threshold to block the rate increases would be a majority of ballots mailed (50% plus one), and that the returned protests were far below that level. Because sanitation fees are billed on the county tax roll, the ordinance introduction required and received the supermajority vote required for Proposition 218 collection on the tax roll.

Public comment ranged from fairness concerns to technical suggestions. Resident David Service told the council that single sewer hookups serving what he described as multi‑residence conversions feel unequal: “They have 10 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms. And I think that there needs to be some thought or adjustments made to deal with that, to make it more fair.” The council asked staff to study whether accessory dwelling units and other multi‑occupancy situations could be addressed in future rate design.

Council member discussion noted comparisons to neighboring cities and options for spreading capital costs. Council members referenced variable pricing, bonds and timing of repairs; staff and council agreed to return with additional information on ADU connections and other means to refine equity and administration before further action.

The motion to approve the 2025 sanitation five‑year rate study and introduce Ordinance No. 1363—“an ordinance of the City Council of the City of Simi Valley, establishing a schedule of sanitation fees and charges and repealing ordinance number 1,300”—passed with the required supermajority; one council member recorded a no vote.

Next steps: the ordinance will return for second reading and final adoption (and, if adopted, inclusion on the county tax roll for collection). Staff was asked to report back with options to address ADU/multi‑occupancy fairness and other administrative details.