Supervisors approve Street Lighting District increase

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved an increase in the San Diego County Street Lighting District annual assessment from $5.88 to $6.17 per benefit unit for properties in Zone A of that district.

The supervisors, who also serve as the board of the San Diego County Street Lighting District, voted unanimously for the increase July 25. On June 13, when the supervisors set the hearing date, the board also approved the Engineer’s Report for the street lighting district.

The increase reflects the increased cost of labor, material, and electricity. The increase is expected to generate an additional $29,580 for the district. Electricity costs account for approximately 90 percent of the district’s expenses.

The County of San Diego’s Department of Public Works, which operates the San Diego County Street Lighting District, has adopted a policy of slight annual increases to keep pace with energy costs rather than a large increase as was the case in 2004.

“We monitor it every year,” said Michele Stress, the Department of Public Works program coordinator for special districts. “We only increase it as much as we need to.”

The San Diego County Street Lighting District was formed in September 1987. The district itself includes the entirety of unincorporated San Diego County; Zone A covers parcels which benefit from street lights in the district while Zone B consists of the remainder of the district. The district operates more than 9,800 lights; approximately 60 percent of the lights are owned by the county while the remaining lights are owned by San Diego Gas & Electric. Zone A includes 809 street lights in Fallbrook and 80 in Bonsall.

Zone A covers approximately 102,000 benefit units and 200,000 customers. The voters approved an assessment rate of up to $25 per year per benefit unit, with a single-family home equating to one benefit unit, although in 1990 the fee was reduced from $23 to $2.50 per benefit unit. That $2.50 assessment remained unchanged until 2004, when rising energy costs and a state budget shift from special districts did not allow increased efficiency to offset the additional expenses. The assessment was increased to $5.33 per benefit unit for Fiscal Year 2004-05, $5.60 for 2005-06, and $5.88 for 2006-07.

“We keep these increases to the absolute minimum,” said Department of Public Works director John Snyder.