Yolo County

CSAs within Yolo County receive a variety of services, including water, sewer, lighting, street cleaning, landscaping, and others.  The mission of Yolo County's CSA program is to ensure quality and cost-efficient delivery of services to designated unincorporated communities.  Management of CSAs includes oversight of the delivery of services, fiscal administration, periodic communications with the CSAs, as well as compliance with state and federal regulations.  Services are provided utilizing the Proposition 218 process and annual charges for property-related fees, assessments, and/or special taxes.

Proposition 218 is a law in California that give you, the voter, more control over certain local taxes and fees that affect you. In particular, it impacts things like water bills, sewer rates, garbage collection fees, and other services provided by your local government. 

Proposition 218 was created to give residents a voice in these decisions, so that local governments couldn't just raise rates whenever they wanted without input from the community. Fees or assessments pursuant to Proposition 218 vary based on the specific services provided. For example, a CSA providing streetlights will have different charges compared to one that does not. For further details or specific inquiries, click on each individual CSA page.

How does Proposition 218 Work?

Here’s the key idea: If your local government wants to raise the rates you pay for services like water, sewer, or trash pickup, they have to follow a specific process:

1. You Get Notified: The government must send you a notice telling you about the proposed increase. This notice will explain what the new rates will be and why they’re being raised.
2. You Can Protest: If you don’t like the proposed increase, you can protest. If enough people in the community protest (usually more than 50% of the affected property owners), the rate increase won’t happen.
3. You Can Vote (in some cases): In certain situations, you may also be able to vote directly on whether or not the increase should go forward. This is more common when it's about new taxes or major changes to how fees are structured.
4. The Fees Must Be Fair: Under Prop 218, the fees charged for services like water or trash collection can’t be more than what it actually costs to provide those services. Local governments can’t charge extra money for unrelated projects or services.

Proposition 218 is important because it gives you power over the costs of essential services. If rates are raised too high or unfairly, you can make your voice heard and stop it from happening. It ensures transparency and makes sure that local governments are not raising rates without good reason or community input.

CSA Policies and Procedures 

The following policies and procedures guide the work of CSA Advisory Committees and County staff liaisons:

CSA Advisory Committees Policies and Procedures Manual (2024)
Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual on Advisory Committees (2020)
Advisory Body Handbook (2018)