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What
is LAFCO?
LAFCO is
an acronym for Local Agency Formation Commission. It is a regulatory
agency with countywide jurisdiction, established by state law to discourage
urban sprawl and to encourage orderly and efficient provision of services,
such as water, sewer, fire protection, etc.
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Is LAFCO a County
Department?
No. LAFCO is a state mandated
agency.
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What does LAFCO
do?
LAFCO is responsible for reviewing
and approving proposed jurisdictional boundary changes, including annexations
and detachments of territory to and/or from cities and special districts, incorporations
of new cities, formations of new special districts, and consolidations, mergers,
and dissolutions of existing districts. In addition, LAFCO must review and approve
contractual service agreements, determine spheres of influence for each city
and district, and may initiate proposals involving district consolidation, dissolution,
establishment of subsidiary districts, mergers, and reorganizations (combinations
of these jurisdictional changes).
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Who are the members
of LAFCO?
El Dorado LAFCO is composed
of seven regular Commissioners: two members from the Board of Supervisors; two
members who represent cities; two members who represent special districts; and
one public member who represents the public as a whole. There are four
alternate Commissioners; one from each of the above membership categories. LAFCO employs
an independent staff headed by an Executive Officer.
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When and where
does the Commission meet?
The Commission meets the fourth
Wednesday of every month at 5:30PM in Building C, El Dorado County Government
Center, located at 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville, California 95667.
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How long will
it take to process my project?
If your project is considered
routine and is non-controversial, processing time is approximately 3 to 4 months
after a complete set of application materials have been submitted to LAFCO. More
complex proposals may take additional time to process.
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Is the public
notified about LAFCO actions?
State law requires that LAFCO
notify affected agencies and the public regarding most jurisdictional boundary
change projects. Notification of a pending project is made to County departments,
interested individuals and local governmental agencies. In addition, comments
are solicited from community groups as well as agencies that may potentially
be affected. LAFCO must also wait until information is returned from the
County Assessor, Auditor-Controller and various state agencies before a proposal
may be scheduled for a public hearing.
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Does LAFCO charge
a fee to process jurisdictional boundary change projects?
State law authorizes LAFCO
to charge the estimated reasonable cost to process jurisdictional boundary change
projects. [ Click here
for our Fee Schedule ]
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What is a sphere
of influence?
A sphere of influence is a
planning tool adopted and used by LAFCO to designate the future boundary and
service area for a city or special district.
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Can a sphere
of influence be changed?
Yes. LAFCO may amend
and update spheres of influence.
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Is LAFCO required
to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)?
Yes. LAFCO must comply with
CEQA.
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If my neighborhood
annexes into a city, will my County Supervisor still represent me?
El Dorado County Supervisors
represent all residents of El Dorado County and are always interested in hearing
citizen’s concerns and questions. Your Supervisor will continue to
represent you after annexation. [ Click
here to find your County Supervisor ]
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If my property
is annexed into the City of Placerville or City of South Lake Tahoe,
will my taxes increase?
Under the California Constitution, your property cannot be assessed at more than 1% of its value. However, special property assessments may apply in both City and County territory. If you now have extra assessments for costs incurred by special districts such as the El Dorado Irrigation District, school districts, the El Dorado County Water Agency, or the Los Rios Community College District, these charges will remain the same after annexation. Depending upon your property's location, special assessments for services such as park and recreation will be removed from your property tax bill upon annexation because the City provides these services at no extra charge.
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