Host of New Tax Levies Proposed by Agencies : Finances: The move to make up for lost funds could nearly double the special assessments paid by the average county property owner. Critics call the planned increases excessive.

From Ventura County government to area water districts, a growing number of local agency officials are moving forward with plans to levy new taxes on property owners in a scramble to cover a shortage of dollars from Sacramento.

Many county homeowners might see at least $180 tacked onto their property tax bills next year if seven agencies carry out proposals to raise taxes through special assessment districts.

The move could nearly double the special assessments the average property owner pays in Ventura County, angering some critics who argue that the proposed increases are excessive and circumvent the spirit of California’s property tax limitation law, Proposition 13.

Critical of any new taxes, county and state taxpayer groups are pushing two bills to restrict local governments and special districts from adding onto residents’ tax burdens.

The legislation would force agencies to gain the approval of voters before implementing the special assessments. Now, such tax increases only go to a vote if enough property owners complain. The bills have gained the support of state Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley), who said she is concerned that the taxes are becoming “real back breakers.”

“All of a sudden, everything is going to be an assessment,” Wright said. “The first thing you know, your tax bill is going to hit the ceiling. People should at least have the opportunity to hear the story and decide whether or not they want it.”

Local officials said without the special assessments, they will not be able to continue fighting fires, spraying mosquito breeding grounds and a host of other public services.

At a time when the state is considering cutting funding to local governments by $2.6 billion, officials say they have no choice but to seek more funds from property owners.

“We would have to lay off in excess of 100 firefighters and close 10 to 15 fire stations,” said Ventura County Fire Chief George Lund, worried over an impending 40% loss in funding.

Without an infusion of money from special assessments, Lund said residents can expect their insurance premiums to go up because of the cutbacks in services.

“It depends if you want to pay increased insurance premiums or increased (taxes for) fire services,” Lund said. “I guess it’s up to the public to decide.”

On April 27, the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to set in motion the Fire Department’s plan to levy $115 annually on property owners in the unincorporated areas of the county and in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Ojai, Camarillo and Port Hueneme.

Officials are also considering the following taxes:

* On Tuesday, the board will decide whether county environmental health officials should be allowed to tax property owners annually for mosquito abatement--a program that depends heavily on state assistance.

If the proposal is passed, property owners in the county’s unincorporated areas and in Thousand Oaks, Fillmore, Ojai, Port Hueneme, Ventura and Santa Paula will be charged $1.12 a year.

Moorpark already has a mosquito abatement district and officials in Oxnard and Simi Valley agreed to pay for the services from city coffers. Camarillo officials have yet to decide whether to implement the tax to provide the mosquito services in the city.

* Also Tuesday, supervisors will decide whether to allow the Ventura County Flood Control District to consider hiking one assessment and levying a new one on property owners across the county.

The first assessment would allow the county to continue maintaining storm channels at a cost ranging from $5.21 to $23.68 a year per parcel. The second would allow officials to implement a federally mandated program to keep county waterways free of pollution. It would cost property owners $1.55 to $10.28--money that normally would have been covered by state funding.

“Where else is it going to be paid from?” said county Public Works Director Arthur Goulet, who oversees the flood control district. “The state has given us no choice.”

* County library officials, in danger of losing 57% of their $8.4-million budget, are exploring the possibility of setting up a special district to keep services afloat. The tax would cost each property owner about $12 annually.

* Three park and recreation districts--which lost nearly $2.5 million last year in state funding--are considering taxing residents to maintain and develop parks throughout eastern Ventura County and Camarillo. Park district officials have yet to determine the cost to each household.

* Calleguas Municipal Water District and the giant Metropolitan Water District, also subject to a loss in state assistance, are considering adopting special assessments to pay for operations and capital improvements.

The Calleguas assessment would range up to $10 each for property owners in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Port Hueneme, Oxnard and unincorporated areas of the east county. Metropolitan, which covers the same areas as Calleguas, plans to charge each property owner $9.58 annually.

Under current law, governments must hold a public hearing before moving ahead with a special tax after sending notices to all property owners. If a substantial percentage of property owners affected by the assessment file a protest, the issue goes to a public vote. The actual percentage varies from 5% to 51%, depending on the agency.

Officials for Calleguas say they plan to send notices this week informing residents of their intentions to move forward with the tax. If the Board of Supervisors gives them the go-ahead, county departments will also inform residents on their intentions to levy taxes within the next two months.

Despite the mailed notices, taxpayer advocates said they are fearful that property owners will not understand the magnitude of assessments until they get their tax bills, thereby missing the 45-day deadline to file protests.

“By the time people see the effects of this, it’s too late,” said Michael Saliba, executive director of the Ventura County Taxpayers Assn. “I’m concerned about the cumulative effect all these assessments are going to have. Especially in these poor economic times.”

H. Jere Robings, president of the Ventura County Alliance of Taxpayers, added, “It’s going to put a real burden on the property owners, and we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.”

Over the past few years the amount of money collected through special assessment districts has increased sharply, county officials say. In 1990-91, for instance, property owners paid $34.2 million in special taxes. For fiscal 1992-93, the amount is expected to exceed $40 million--accounting for nearly 9% of the property taxes in the county.

There are more than 100 special assessments collected in the county, covering services ranging from weed abatement programs to maintaining drainage ditches. Every city in the county has adopted some sort of special tax to charge customers.

Jonathan Coupal, director of legal affairs for Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. in Sacramento, said a study by his group has found that special assessments have grown by 600% since Proposition 13 was passed in 1978.

“The increases have been rather dramatic in the last 10 years,” Coupal said. “But in the last two years, it went up like a rocket.”

In Los Angeles County, Coupal said, a county analysis determined that special assessments could soon increase by $397 for roughly 3 million property owners. That’s equivalent to a 23% increase in property taxes on a house valued at $150,000, Coupal said.

“It’s a catastrophe waiting to happen for taxpayers,” he said. “It’s phenomenal.”

In some cases, Ventura County residents now pay less than $20 a year while a small number of large property owners pay more than $20,000 in special assessments. Most of these assessments cover small geographical areas.

But the seven agencies considering assessments this spring would reach large numbers of property owners in the county. Sensitive to taxpayers’ concerns, Donald Kendall, Calleguas general manager, said he would like the “whole parcel charge to just go away.” But without the funds, Calleguas will have to absorb a $3.5-million cut in state assistance, about a fifth of the agency’s budget.

“We have a service to provide,” he said. “We have 130 miles of pipeline. We are the only link that brings imported water into this service area. It has to be maintained. There are no ‘what ifs’ in this game here.”

Kendall said residents should lay the blame on state leaders for cutting the funds that until now were shared with local agencies to offset tax dollars lost from Proposition 13.

However, Wright said, “They want to blame us, but they should take some of the blame too. They should find a more economical way of doing business, which they don’t seem to be doing.

“I certainly do not want to destroy local government, but there are just too many special districts. That is something we have to look at.”

New Taxes Proposed The average property owner now pays $189 a year in special taxes known as assessments. That amount could nearly double for some households if officials move ahead with plans to adopt the following assessments. *Agency: Ventura County Fire Protection Properties affected: 133,800 parcels in the unincorporated district areas of the county and in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Ojai, Camarillo, and Port Hueneme. Estimated annual tax per parcel: $115 *Agency: Ventura County Flood Control District Properties affected: 220,000 parcels, including most county private property owners Estimated annual tax per parcel: $5.21 to $23.68 *Agency: Ventura County Flood Control District (pollution controls) Properties affected: 220,000 parcels, including most county private property owners Estimated annual tax per parcel: $1.55 to $10.28 *Agency: Ventura County Library Services Properties affected: Parcels throughout the county except in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard Estimated annual tax per parcel: $12 *Agency: Pleasant Valley, Rancho-Simi and Conejo Valley parks and recreation districts Properties affected: Parcels in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark and Camarillo Estimated annual tax per parcel: Not yet determined *Agency: Ventura County Mosquito Abatement Program Properties affected: 213,222 parcels in the unincorporated areas of the county and all cities except Moorpark, Oxnard and Simi Valley Estimated annual tax per parcel: $1.12 *Agency: Calleguas Municipal Water District Properties affected: 150,149 parcels in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley,Moorpark, Port Hueneme, Oxnard and unincorporated areas of the east county Estimated annual tax per parcel: Up to $10 *Agency: Metropolitan Water District Properties affected: 150,149 parcels in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Port Hueneme, Oxnard and unincorporated areas of the east county Estimated annual tax per parcel: $9.58