Assessment Districts

Through the City of Carpinteria’s Landscape Maintenance District (LMD), the City continually provides a wide array of landscaping services that works to reduce wildfire risk through brush, weed, and other fuels management.

Funding generated by this City assessment helps: 1) prevent trash, litter and debris from accumulating in landscaped areas of Carpinteria, which may enter storm drains and end up in coastal waters and on beaches; 2) maintain landscaping of city medians, parkways, sidewalks and other public spaces; and 3) maintain trees on city streets, medians and other public spaces within the assessment district.

Our Challenges:

With the support of our community, the original Landscape Maintenance District was established in 1996 (nearly 30 years ago). However, since that time, assessment rates have not been increased, while the costs associated with providing these services have increased by 480%, resulting in a growing funding deficit for the services provided by the Landscape Maintenance District.

Over the years, the City has subsidized funds from its General Fund budget to fill the gap in funding for the Landscape Maintenance District. The City projects that in the next several years it may have to reduce the available city budget by over a million dollars annually to continue supporting the underfunded Landscape Maintenance District. This could result in reductions to services, including public safety, street maintenance, parks, and recreational programs.

To help ensure continued financial support for the City’s Landscape Maintenance District, the City of Carpinteria needs additional funding.

• FACT: Assessment rates and revenues have remained flat since 1996 when the local minimum wage was $6.50/hour and the cost of gas was less than $2.00/gallon (on average). Costs have risen significantly since then, and despite the City reducing other services to cover these costs, the City still projects a budget shortfall in the coming years.
  • FACT: Public landscaping services include maintenance and irrigation of trees, plants, shrubs, hedges, and other groundcover. These services also include removing landscaping debris from City drainage systems, maintenance of sidewalks and bikeways, and weed and graffiti abatement.
  • FACT: The City currently supports landscaping services for approximately 184 acres of public land, not including parks. The Coastal Vista Trail and the Santa Monica Creek Trail are some of the larger areas where the City manages landscaping services.
  • FACT: Safe, clean and well-maintained public landscaping along streets, trails, and public parking areas help maintain quality of life and make our community a desirable place to live.

Identified Solution:

To continue the maintenance, operation and servicing of landscaped areas that directly benefit assessed parcels within the City of Carpinteria, the City is proposing the formation of an updated Landscape Maintenance District in compliance with Proposition 218.

What the updated Landscape Maintenance District proposes to fund:

• Continued maintenance to help reduce wildfire risk through brush, weed and other fuels management and abatement in landscaped public areas within the district.
• Continued maintenance to help prevent trash, litter and debris from accumulating in landscaped areas, which may enter storm drains and end up in coastal waters and on beaches.

• Continued landscaping maintenance/servicing of street trees, landscaped medians, parkways, sidewalks and other public spaces that provide a direct and proportional benefit to properties within the district.

Proposition 218 Ballot Proceeding:

California’s Proposition 218 (the Taxpayers Right to Vote on Taxes Act), which was approved by voters across the state in 1996 as an amendment to the California Constitution, requires a “mail ballot proceeding” among local property owners (not registered voters) for any proposed new or increased assessment. If the proposed assessment is approved, it would replace the existing assessment that was established in 1996.

The assessment also includes accountability requirements so that funds are used as promised, with public disclosure of all spending and annual independent audits which will be available online. No funds from this assessment would go to the City’s General Fund.

A YES vote means: 

• The updated Landscape Maintenance District would replace the existing district and reflect the actual cost of providing landscaping and street-tree services.
• Updated assessments would fund ongoing maintenance of street trees, landscaped medians, parkways, sidewalks, & other public landscaped areas that directly benefit properties within the district.
• The Landscape Maintenance District would have a sustainable, dedicated funding source, and the City would no longer need to use General Fund resources to subsidize District operations.
• Maintenance activities would continue to address brush, weeds, trash, litter, and other debris in landscaped public areas, which helps to reduce fire risk and prevent materials from entering storm drains, coastal waters, and beaches.

A NO vote means: 

• The existing District will remain in place and the assessment amount collected (established in 1996) will not reflect the actual cost of providing landscaping and street-tree services.
• Assessment revenues will continue to be insufficient to fund the ongoing maintenance of street trees, landscaped medians, parkways, sidewalks, & other public landscaped areas that benefit properties within the District.
• The District will not have a sustainable funding source, and the City will need to continue using General Fund resources to subsidize the District, reducing funds available for other City services.

View a printable Information Sheet for LMD here.

Every year through the City of Carpinteria Winter Protection Berm Assessment District No. 5, the City constructs a berm to help protect public and private property from high tides and winter storms. The berm helps preserve the integrity of the homes and businesses that are near the shore. The berm is typically built in October or November and dismantled the following March every year.

Our Challenge:

With the support of our community, the Winter Berm District was established in 1992 (33 years ago). However, since that time, assessment rates have not been increased, while construction, maintenance, management, contingency, and emergency response costs have increased by 275% (from $25,300 in 1992 to $94,771 in 2025).

As a result, the City has subsidized funding for the Winter Berm with its General Fund to fill the gap in funding. The City projects that in the next several years it may have to reduce the available City budget to continue supporting the underfunded Winter Berm District. This could result in reductions to other City services, including public safety, street maintenance, parks, and recreational programs.

To help ensure continued financial support for the berm’s annual construction, expand the existing Winter Berm District to include all at risk properties, and avoid reductions to other services, the City of Carpinteria needs additional funding.

• • FACT: Prior to 1992, frequent winter storm surges (or floods) caused significant property damage to parcels along the ocean front of the city. The damage spurred the City of Carpinteria and property owners to invest in the berm in order to provide protection from high tides and storm surges during the winter months.
  • FACT: Since 1992, the Berm has protected homes and businesses near the ocean front from countless storms, saving property owners costs for repairs and renovations.
  • FACT: In 2023, a strong storm caused a minor breach in the berm. Additional investment in our winter berm is needed to help prevent future breaches like the one we saw in 2023.
  • FACT: Winter storms are becoming more severe and unpredictable. With increasing variability in winter storms, additional funding is needed to better protect properties nearest Carpinteria City Beach.
  • FACT: The berm helps protect property values and provides potential reductions in flood insurance premiums.

Identified Solution: 

The berm program consists of seasonal construction and removal of an earthen berm approximately 1,375 feet in length along the Carpinteria City Beach. Once constructed, the berm must be monitored, maintained, and repaired during the winter storm season to ensure that it provides reliable protection.

Emergency response activities are often required during significant weather events to reinforce the structure of the berm and prevent overtopping or erosion. In addition to physical construction and maintenance, the berm program requires administrative oversight, compliance with legal noticing and reporting obligations, and the management of contractual and budgetary responsibilities. A contingency allocation is also necessary to address unforeseen events such as unusually severe storms.

To appropriately fund the continued yearly construction, maintenance, management, contingency, and emergency response of the berm, the City of Carpinteria is considering the formation of a replacement assessment district — the Carpinteria Coastal Berm Assessment District — which requires a Proposition 218 ballot proceeding. The replacement District would establish updated assessments that more accurately reflect current costs and ensure long-term program sustainability. Formation of the new Coastal Berm Assessment District would replace the existing Winter Berm District beginning in Fiscal Year 2026/27. This proposal would not expand the berm or change its footprint. All costs associated with berm construction, maintenance, and emergency response would be consolidated into a single, updated assessment.

California Proposition 218 (the “Taxpayers Right to Vote on Taxes Act”), which was approved by voters across the state in 1996 as an amendment to the California Constitution, requires a mail ballot proceeding among local property owners (not registered voters) for any proposed new or increased assessment. Formation of an updated Winter Protection Berm Assessment District will be conducted according to the requirements established by Proposition 218, including providing all property owners located within the district the opportunity to vote on the proposed assessment. For example, ballot and notice will be mailed to all property owners who would be asked to pay the proposed assessment for the Coastal Berm Assessment District No. 5. If the  proposed assessment is approved, it would replace the existing assessment that was established in 1992.  The replacement District would establish updated assessments that more accurately reflect current costs and ensure long-term program sustainability. If the proposed ballot proceeding to replace the existing Winter Protection Berm Assessment District passed, the proposed maximum assessment (Rate per Equivalent Benefit Unit) would be $235.42/ per year (or $19.62/ per month), with an annual adjustment provision equal to the greater of 3% or the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, not to exceed 6%.

Without the improvements, the adjacent neighborhoods and properties (subject parcels) face a substantially higher risk of flooding, structural damage, erosion, and associated financial losses. By contrast, the presence of the berm directly mitigates that exposure, resulting in tangible, parcel-specific advantages, including:

• Reduced risk of property damage and associated repair or replacement costs due to storm-driven wave action and coastal flooding;
• Lower likelihood of personal financial losses, business interruption, or displacement resulting from flood events;
• Potential reductions in flood insurance premiums, where applicable, due to demonstrated flood protection measures in place; and
• Preservation or enhancement of long-term property value as a result of improved site stability and reduced hazard designation.

By law, funds from this assessment can only be used to provide services within the Coastal Berm Assessment District boundaries. No funds from this assessment would go to the City’s General Fund. The budget for maintenance and services funded by this assessment would be provided to the public annually.

A YES vote means: 

• The existing Winter Berm District would be replaced beginning in Fiscal Year 2026/27.
• Updated assessments would fund annual berm construction, maintenance, management, and emergency response based on current costs.
• There would be a dedicated funding source for
  berm operations without relying on
  General Fund resources.
• The berm program could continue operating at current levels to help protect homes, businesses, and infrastructure during winter storms.

A NO vote means:

• The existing Winter Berm District would remain in place with its 1992 assessment levels.
• Assessment revenues would remain insufficient to cover annual berm construction and emergency response costs.
• The berm program would continue to be subsidized by the General Fund, reducing
  funds available for other City services such as public safety, street maintenance, parks,
  and recreation.

View a printable Information Sheet for Winter Berm here.