I received a Notice of Hearing.......What's next?
A local agency has submitted a proposal to LAFCo to change their operations in an area where you either own property or are a registered voter. Notices are also sent to property owners and registered voters adjacent to the proposed area. A local agency would be a special district, city or county.
LAFCo has several ways to modify an agency's operations, with the most common changes including:
· Annexation: Adding property to the agency’s boundary.
· Detachment: Removing property from the agency’s boundary.
· Formation or Dissolution: Establishing or dissolving a special district or city.
· Mergers and Consolidations: Combining special districts or cities.
· Service Activation: Adding a new service that the agency does not currently provide.
To find out if your property is within the proposed area or if you are adjacent to it, check the bottom of your notice. If you see the following statement, your property or voter registration is within 300 feet of the proposed area but not included within it:
* This notice satisfies the requirement of Government Code § 56157. Mailed notice is required to be given to all landowners and registered voters within 300 feet of the affected area.
Attendance at the Commission meeting at the time, date and location that appears on the notice is always welcome. At the meeting you can hear a brief description of the proposal and any discussion. The Commission Chair will provide you with an opportunity to speak during public comments. At that time, you can speak to the Commission about any of your concerns regarding the current proposal.
You are welcome to attend the meeting, but it is not required. If you prefer not to attend, you can still make your voice heard by submitting a letter of support or opposition. If you have questions or concerns you can submit your concerns in writing at info@kernlafco.org, or call LAFCo staff at 661-716-1076.
If the proposal is approved at the initial Commission meeting, a protest hearing will be scheduled. If you are within the proposal area, you will receive another notice with details of the protest hearing’s date, time, and location.
If you are within the proposal area you can protest at the meeting or submit, by email, the Protest Forms found on this website under News and Notices.
LAFCo must follow State Legislature-mandated protest percentage thresholds. If these thresholds are not met, the proposal will proceed. If the thresholds are met, the proposal will be terminated.
If you disagree with the decision, you can request a reconsideration within 30 days of the approval. Your request should specify the modifications you are seeking and provide new or different facts that justify reconsideration. If the Commission grants reconsideration, it will review the information again and either uphold or amend its decision.
The impact on your taxes will depend on the nature of the proposal. For example, an annexation into a city may alter the distribution of your tax funds. Your taxes could increase or decrease. For specific details, contact LAFCo staff.
You can contact the LAFCo office at 661-716-1076 or info@kernlafco.org for more information.
If your property is not within the proposal area, you can still attend the meeting and express your concerns. However, you will not have the formal opportunity to protest the proposal and will not receive a protest hearing notice.
For more information please see our FAQs on this website, under the About tab or the FAQs under the Additional Resources tab. You may also send your questions or info@kernlcafo.org or call LAFCo staff at 661-716-1076.