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Residents press supervisors over PRD assessments; board puts two PRD special taxes on the ballot
Summary
After hours of public testimony about map errors, decades of undercollection and disputed parcel mappings, the Board approved motions to place multiple permanent road division (PRD) special taxes on the November ballot and directed staff to return with dissolution procedures if voters reject measures.
Following a prolonged public hearing in which residents described decades of deferred maintenance, mapping errors, and disputed parcel inclusions, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors agreed June 24 to place PRD special taxes before voters and to prepare follow‑up steps if measures fail.
Residents from PRD 13A in Fallbrook and other PRDs told the board they were surprised to learn only recently that assessments had not been collected (some parcels last assessed decades earlier). Citizens for Sustainable PRDs and legal counsel argued the county had failed to update assessments, used outdated maps, and in some cases collected inconsistent or insufficient revenues for necessary repairs. Speakers said some utility and publicly owned parcels that use PRD roads were not being assessed, and they stressed the need to include utility/agency contributions in any repair strategy. "Residents did not create decades of underfunding," said a PRD representative during public comment.
Board action: Supervisor Desmond moved and the board approved sending the PRD 13A special tax to the November ballot, and added direction that, if voters do not approve the special tax, staff should begin the process of dissolving the PRD and return to the board with proposed next steps. The board recorded that county staff had expended over $500,000 in the prior three years addressing culvert failures and sinkholes in the PRD.
Why it matters: The debate exposed structural challenges in the PRD system: long periods without re‑assessment or escalators, inconsistent parcel mapping, and disputes over who — property owners, the county, or utilities — should pay for major repairs to privately maintained but publicly dedicated roadways. Residents urged greater transparency, mapping corrections and a clear chart of responsibility before asking homeowners to accept large tax increases.
What to watch: The board's motion sends measures to the November ballot. If one fails, staff will return with dissolution options; the county indicated potential legal and financial steps will be required to unwind PRDs or to reassign responsibilities for maintenance and to protect county taxpayers from unfunded private obligations.
