It’s a new fiscal year and that means property assessments are on the rise.
The Los Osos Community Services District Board on July 2 approved an item to levy the annual assessments the CSD uses to pay for specific services.
And while most apply to the entire community some just affect certain neighborhoods and pay for specific services. And since the assessments are tied into property taxes, there’s no escaping them, if you own a piece of land.
“Annually,” reads the report from Laura Durban, the LOCSD’s Administrative Services Manager, “various assessments are placed in the tax rolls for collection by the San Luis Obispo County. In accordance with legislation and the County’s rules, resolutions need to be adopted to legally place these in the tax rolls.”
The Resolution covered a slew of assessments including one that’s brand new, but was approved by voters at the June Primary.
Ther assessments covered were: Bayridge Estates Annual Service Charge; Vista de Oro Annual Service Charge; Drainage Special Tax; Fire Protection and Prevention Services Special Tax; District No. 1 Wastewater Assessments; District Delinquent Water Charges; District Delinquent Solid Waste Charges; and, the LOCSD Parks and Recreation assessment.
That last one was approved by voters in June and is intended to provide funding for the purchase of the old Sunnyside School property that will eventually become a public park space, as well as potentially many other uses.
Some of these assessments haven’t changed from the previous year, but others have been increased by the rate of inflation, baked into laws approved over a century ago.
“The rate or amounts for Bayridge, Vista de Oro and Drainage Special Tax are the same as in prior years,” Durban’s report said, “the Fire Special Tax includes the 3.02% adjustment approved by the Board on April 2, 2026; and, the base assessments for the Wastewater Assessment District No. 1 includes a total Administrative Charge of $24,081.90 to be spread among all assessed parcels to cover trustee fees, assessment fees, assessment process fees and disclosure reporting, and credit status maintenance. This administrative charge is authorized under the provisions of the Municipal Improvement Act of 1913 and the Improvement Bond Act of 1915.”
The wastewater charges are tied to a bond the CSD issued about 20-years ago that was tied into a failed attempt to build a community sewer system that ended when the board was recalled.
“The bond assessments [for the Wastewater Assessment District No. 1] may vary by a few cents each year, due to the varying rates of maturing bonds, however, the total assessment for each parcel remains the same for the whole life of the bond which will all mature by 2034.”
How much and how calculated is a bit different for each of these assessments.
The Bayridge Estates cost is $68.46 per parcel per year and raises just $9,900, and the Vista de Oro assessments are $82.18 per year per parcel, raising just under $6,000 a year.
The Fire Protection assessment runs $22.46 per unit of benefit, and raises over $715,000 a year.
The drainage costs run just $16 per parcel and generate $96,000 a year.
The wastewater bonds amount to $201 per parcel and generate $1.03 million a year. This amount is simply to service the debt from the bonds and expires in 2034 when the bonds are retired. It is separate from the charges the County levies for the actual community sewer that was completed in 2016.
And the Parks & Rec assessments are $185 per parcel for the first 15 years while the CSD pays off the purchase price, which is being negotiated with the school district, and then drops down to $100 a year after that.
This assessment will continue until another voter initiative is passed to change or end it.
In addition to these annual costs, the LOCSD Board also approved a list of water and garbage customers who are delinquent on their bills, as both the water and garbage bills are linked to property taxes, should the customers fall behind.
This is done to ensure the CSD and the garbage company get the money owed to them for their services because if they are not paid, a lien can be placed on a property until the debt is satisfied, which is a process in itself.
