Board forms Community Facilities District for Commerce Center; landowner election unanimous

San Bernardino County supervisors voted April 29 to form Community Facilities District (CFD) No. 2025‑1 for the Commerce Center development and to proceed with a special-tax levy to fund ongoing maintenance and operations for the project, following a unanimous landowner election held at the hearing.

The board adopted a resolution declaring its intent to form CFD 2025‑1 and received a CFD report prepared by Webb Municipal Finance, which staff entered into the public record. Noel Castillo, director of Public Works, told the board the CFD would fund maintenance of public infrastructure for the Commerce Center — including roads, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, landscaping, drainage and flood protection, sewer systems, graffiti and debris removal, and other operational needs — and that the district intends to use in‑house staff and outside vendors to deliver services.

Key financial details: Staff presented proposed annual service rates for the CFD zones. Per the report, the estimated cost per acre is $9,299.85 for Zone 1 (SBC Speedway development) and $4,649.93 for Zone 2 (NASCAR development), producing an estimated annual levy of just over $3,000,000. The first special tax levy is scheduled for November 2025, and the district’s rate-and-method-of-apportionment was included in the board packet.

Process and votes: The county adopted Resolution 2025‑163 on March 25, 2025, declaring intent to form the CFD and placed the CFD report, prepared by Webb Municipal Finance, in the record. At the April 29 public hearing the landowner election on the propositions within the proposed district was unanimous in favor of both propositions, the clerk announced; the board then certified the election and approved related recommendations. The board voted to adopt the formation resolution and take the subsequent ministerial steps (motions made and seconded by board members in the record); all actions passed unanimously.

Why it matters: A CFD under the Mello‑Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982 allows property owners in a development to be assessed a special tax to fund infrastructure and services that will be maintained by the district. The CFD will shift ongoing maintenance responsibility for specified public infrastructure in the Commerce Center to a special district funded by property assessments rather than ongoing county general funds.

Next steps: Staff said it will return to the board on May 6 to recommend adoption of an ordinance authorizing the levy of special taxes, to approve temporary maintenance agreements, and to receive an initial deposit from the developer to fund operation and maintenance prior to the first special tax assessment.

Speaker list (attributions used in this article): - Noel Castillo — Director, Department of Public Works, San Bernardino County (government) - Clerk of the Board — Clerk, San Bernardino County (government; announced election results) - Webb Municipal Finance — Report author (referenced in packet) - Supervisor Hagman — Board member (government) - Vice Chair Joe Baca — Board member (government)

Authorities and legal context: - Mello‑Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982 — statutory authority for formation and levy of special taxes - Resolution 2025‑163 (adopted March 25, 2025) — board resolved intent to form CFD 2025‑1

Clarifying details (from staff presentation): - CFD name: Community Facilities District No. 2025‑1 (Commerce Center 2) - Zones: Zone 1 (SBC Speedway development) and Zone 2 (NASCAR development); Zone 1 is divided into two phases with phase 2 a future annexation area - Estimated cost per acre: Zone 1 = $9,299.85/acre; Zone 2 = $4,649.93/acre - Estimated annual levy: just over $3,000,000 - First special-tax levy: November 2025 - CFD report prepared by: Webb Municipal Finance

Community relevance: The CFD affects property owners and developers within the Commerce Center footprint, who will be assessed special taxes to fund maintenance; it also concerns the county’s role in supporting infrastructure for large-scale private development.

Votes and actions recorded: - Action: Adopt resolution initiating formation of CFD 2025‑1 and call for a landowner election (mover: Supervisor Hagman; second: Vice Chair Joe Baca). Outcome: approved (unanimous). - Action: Certification of landowner election results (clerk announced unanimous support). Outcome: certified (unanimous). - Action: Approve recommendations to proceed with ordinance adoption and temporary maintenance agreements (movers recorded in minutes). Outcome: approved (unanimous).

Proper names: Community Facilities District No. 2025‑1; Webb Municipal Finance; SBC Speedway; NASCAR; Mello‑Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982; San Bernardino County Department of Public Works.

Provenance: - topicintro: {"block_id":"3352.895","local_start":0,"local_end":220,"evidence_excerpt":"Thank you very much. Our discussion calendar today, we will begin with item number 89, which is a public hearing for the proposed formation of the community facilities district number 2025-1, which is the comp Commerce Center 2 being presented this morning by Noel Castillo. Good morning. And I will open the public hearing."} - topfinish: {"block_id":"3691.9548","local_start":0,"local_end":180,"evidence_excerpt":"Thank you madam chair. With that, the item passes unanimously. Farewell. Thank you very much."}

Searchable tags: ["CFD","Mello-Roos","Commerce Center","Webb Municipal Finance","special tax","San Bernardino County"]