Summary
SB-1173 creates a special statute that allows for the De Luz Community Services District (CSD) to receive funds through the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account and Highway Users Tax Account.
Background
The existing Community Services District Law, authorizes the formation of community services districts for various specified purposes including: acquiring, constructing, improving, maintaining streets and roads, and other incidental works. Counties currently report to the State Controller a variety of metrics including maintained miles of county highways. These metrics determine the amount of funds a county receives from the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account as well as the Highway Users Tax Account.
Since its inception in 1979, rapid regional growth has caused a 300% increase in traffic volume on the roads maintained by De Luz CSD. De Luz CSD is unique in maintaining 86 miles of public access roadways, built and maintained to the State and County standards without receiving the benefit of fee revenues that support operation and maintenance.
Ensuring the County of Riverside reports the mileage of the highways maintained by the De Luz Community Services District to the Department of Transportation as maintained county highways means the Controller will deem those highways to be maintained county highways for the purposes of apportioning funds from the Highway Users Tax Account and the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account. Authorizing the County to allocate funds to the district to maintain county highways in the district ensures that De Luz CSD maintains fiscal responsibility for coordinating road work with the County. Allowing this accounting of funds will aid in maintaining the levels of growth in the region and the public access to the roads in De Luz CSD.
Proposal
SB-1173 will allow De Luz CSD to access statewide funds through Riverside County to maintain public roadways in the district.