Water board to look again
at annual parcel tax

The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) announced a public hearing for Jan. 8 to discuss continuation of its annual parcel tax.

The tax, which began seven years ago, requires landowners to pay $10 per parcel for one acre of land or less, or an average of 85 cents a month. Owners with more than an acre pay $10 per acre.

The fee is included not on the bi-monthly water bill, but on each resident’s yearly property tax bill. Certain properties may qualify for a deferral.

The tax, also known as a standby charge, raises almost $700,000 a year to help pay for capital improvements such as new pumps and water pipes in the 120 square-mile district. The Las Virgenes system includes more than 325 miles of water lines, 22 storage tanks and 20 pumping stations from the East San Fernando Valley to Westlake Village.

Money is needed to make repairs and upgrades as the infrastructure ages, according to water district officials.

But during the past two years the LVMWD Board of Directors has been split over the tax.

"The water district likes to spend money," said Board President Vern Padgett. "They don’t operate as efficiently as they would like."

Last year’s tax passed by a 3-2 margin despite opposition from Padgett and fellow boardmember Glen Longarini. Padgett was the lone dissenter in a 4-1 vote the year before.

LVMWD considers the standby charge to be a more stable revenue source for capital projects since the tax doesn’t depend on fluctuating water sales or unpredictable new meter connections.

If the standby charge were eliminated, then the district would have to compensate by raising water rates, officials say. LVMWD, in fact, lowered potable water rates earlier this year by 10 percent.

The Jan. 8 tax hearing is 4 p.m. at the water district headquarters, 4232 Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas.

The LVMWD board also will continue talks about repairs and cost reductions at the Rancho Las Virgenes Composting Facility in Calabasas.

—John Loesing