Proposition 218: Infrastructure & Maintenance Updates

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The City of Lancaster aims to provide reliable, highly responsive, and fiscally transparent services that safeguard public health, improve local neighborhoods, and support long-term property values.

To pay for specialized infrastructure elements that deliver a direct, localized advantage to property owners, such as neighborhood streetlights, local stormwater catch basins, sewer lines, and landscaped perimeter medians, the City utilizes localized service districts. Within these districts, property owners pay only for the portion of services they directly receive.

The Lancaster City Council approved four formal Resolutions of Intents on May 26, 2026, initiating the Prop 218 Process for the Lancaster Drainage Benefit Assessment District, Lancaster Sewer District, Lancaster Landscape Maintenance District, and Lancaster Lighting Maintenance District.

Enter your property address in the interactive map to see if you live within any of the districts. Not all parcels are included in all four assessments/service areas; some parcels may be in none, one, two, three, or all areas.

If property owners have questions, they can email their inquiry to prop218@cityoflancasterca.gov.

To learn more about each district, visit the following webpages:

Important Dates & Community Involvement

Property owners will receive official notices and ballots in the mail. You are highly encouraged to attend an upcoming informational community open house to ask questions, review data, and get assistance with your forms:

Community Open House #1: Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Lancaster National Soccer Center (Eastside Building)
Community Open House #2: Wednesday, June 17, 2026 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Location: Lancaster Performing Arts Center (LPAC Lobby)
Official Public Hearing: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 1:30 p.m.
Location: Lancaster City Hall Council Chambers (44933 Fern Avenue)

Note: Property owners can provide comments and submit protests at the July 14 hearing, where ballots will be officially tabulated.

Understanding the Need for an Update

The Reality of Deferred Maintenance

Many of Lancaster’s neighborhood assessments were established decades ago. Most property owners have not seen an update in over 20 years; for example, sewer fees have been unchanged since 2008, and drainage fees have largely been unchanged since the 1990s. Meanwhile, inflation, utility costs, labor, and materials have risen significantly.

Because current funding is insufficient, the City faces deferred maintenance (delayed repairs). Left unaddressed, small maintenance problems eventually become much larger, more severe, and more expensive. This leads to:

Overgrown landscaping becoming a fire hazard.
Broken streetlights that cannot be replaced.
Drainage pipes with severe root intrusion and worsening neighborhood flooding.
Aging sewer systems require costly, emergency repairs.

Impact on the General Fund

Resources

May 26 City Council Meeting Recording

City of Lancaster Drainage Benefit Assessment District and Initiation of Proposition 218 Proceedings

City of Lancaster Sewer Service Charge Increases and Initiation of Proposition 218 Majority Protest Proceedings

City of Lancaster Landscape Maintenance District and Initiation of Proposition 218 Proceedings

City of Lancaster Lighting Maintenance District and Initiation of Proposition 218 Proceedings

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Proposition 218?

Under California law, Proposition 218 allows cities to fund critical infrastructure and maintenance services through assessments paid only by properties that directly receive a “special benefit” from them (similar to the LA County Fire assessment on property tax bills). The Lancaster City Council approved a formal Resolution of Intent on May 26, 2026, initiating this 45-day public review period.

What is a “special benefit”?

Can the City use these funds for other things?

Can the City just pay for this through the General Fund?

How are the assessment amounts calculated?

How does the ballot or protest process work?

Because California law treats utility infrastructure differently from neighborhood assessments, property owners will participate in one of two ways, depending on the specific district:

Lighting, Landscaping, and Drainage Districts (Benefit Assessments)

What you will receive: An official informational notice and a checkbox ballot inside a prepaid return envelope.
How it is decided: A weighted mail-in election. Ballots are calculated and weighted based on a property's size and financial stake. The update passes unless a majority of returned ballots are cast as “No.” Only returned ballots are tabulated.

2. Sewer District (Property-Related Fees)

What you will receive: An official Public Protest Notice detailing the modernization updates and legal protest procedures.
To submit a sewer protest form residents must provide one of the three options listed: APN, property address or account #.
How it is decided: A protest procedure following a "one-parcel, one-vote" structure. Property owners have the right to submit a formal, signed physical protest letter. The rate updates pass unless a literal majority (50% + 1) of all affected parcels submit a physical written protest before the public hearing concludes.

How can I see if I am in a district that is undergoing a Prop 218 process?

What is the cost impact for a typical homeowner?

I was not paying this before—why am I now?

Why are different properties paying different amounts?

Who decides if this moves forward?

What happens if the rate adjustments do not pass?

I threw out my envelope, now what do I do?

They may place the completed ballot in any sealed envelope and mail or deliver it directly to the City Clerk at the address identified in the ballot materials. For ease of processing, we recommend that the property owner write "Assessment Ballot Enclosed" on the outside of the envelope. The ballot remains valid as long as it is properly completed, signed, and received by the City Clerk prior to the close of the public hearing.

I did not receive 4 ballots, is that normal?

How do I find my sewer account number?

Is the amount on my ballot being added to what I already pay?