Adelanto council certifies special assessments on delinquent code fines after public hearing

Adelanto — The City Council on Feb. 26 moved to certify delinquent administrative fines and special assessments against properties with unresolved code‑enforcement violations, a step staff said will place those amounts on the county property tax roll for collection.

Jerry, a city code enforcement representative, told the council the list includes 407 properties overall and that "for this round, right now we have 407 properties…this is the first 75, and it's the amount of $959,558.61." He said the city will follow Government Code section 53069.4 and process collection through the San Bernardino County tax collector.

The matter drew extensive public comment. A resident who identified herself in the meeting as Debbie described difficulties with the notice process and said mailed letters were dated earlier than when she received them: "That letter itself is dated for the January 7…they have 15 days if they wanna go against it," she said, adding that some residents never received what they understood would be formal citations.

Council members pressed staff for details on timing, escalation and liability. Councilor Mesa noted how daily citations compound and asked whether the county keeps any portion of the recovery; Jerry answered that proceeds should come to the city and the county handles assessment collection. City Manager Jesse Flores and staff emphasized they will review older records for errors and handle appeals on a case‑by‑case basis; Flores said the city has, in some instances, waived fines when appropriate.

Several council members argued enforcement is necessary to address long‑standing blight and public‑health risks. Mayor Pro Tem Ramos said the city must "start somewhere" to restore neighborhood conditions. Others, including Councilwoman Evans, warned about the optics of applying many years of unresolved fines retroactively and urged staff and council to ensure notices and administrative procedures were correctly followed before collection.

After public comment and deliberation, the council voted to approve the staff recommendation to certify the special assessments and direct the city treasurer to record the liens for collection through the county tax roll. Jerry said the city will proceed with the ministerial step of placing the assessments on the tax roll and continue to work with property owners who come forward with documentation or justification.

What happens next: Staff will transmit the certified assessments to the San Bernardino County tax collector for collection. Councilmembers asked staff to provide more documentation to the council and to consider reviewing citation procedures and the ordinance language to reduce confusion in future enforcement.