Highway Taxes - - CA Streets And Highways

Section § 1550

This law allows a county's board of supervisors to create special districts specifically for road maintenance and to impose special taxes for the upkeep of roads and highways. However, it does not permit the county to impose property taxes for highway purposes in any city that already manages street work and improvements under its own laws.

(a) A board of supervisors may form special road maintenance districts and levy special taxes for road and highway purposes to this chapter.

(b) Nothing contained in this section shall authorize any property tax for highway purposes to be levied or collected by a county within any city wherein work and improvements upon the streets are done by virtue of any law relating to street work and improvements within such a city.

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(Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 332, Sec. 80. (SB 113) Effective January 1, 2010.)

Section § 1550.1

This law allows county supervisors to create special districts for road maintenance in areas that are not part of a city. If they believe extra funds are needed to maintain roads and highways, they can decide to form these districts. The board must set district boundaries and can shut them down later if needed. Before forming a district, they must hold a public hearing after giving notice through newspapers and public postings. During the hearing, community protests can be addressed, and the board will decide whether the district is necessary.

The board of supervisors may form special road maintenance districts in unincorporated areas of the county wholly outside of incorporated cities. Formation of these districts may be ordered by the board when in its opinion additional road funds are necessary to properly maintain highways and roads in specific unincorporated areas of the county. These districts shall be formed by order of the board setting forth the boundaries thereof. A district shall be in existence until the board shall by its order discontinue the district. If a district is to be formed, the board shall set a date for a hearing on the formation. This hearing shall not be held in less than three weeks after the date of the order for the hearing, and prior to the date of the hearing, a notice of the hearing shall be published twice in a newspaper of general circulation in the area, and, in addition, at least three notices shall be posted in public places within the proposed district. At the hearing, protests, if any, shall be heard on the proposed formation of the district. It shall be within the power of the board to determine from the results of the hearing the necessity for the special road maintenance district, and, if it be deemed necessary, the district may be formed.

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(Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 332, Sec. 81. (SB 113) Effective January 1, 2010.)

Section § 1550.2

This law section allows the board of supervisors to impose a special tax, following certain rules stated in the Government Code, and use the money collected from this tax for the purposes outlined in this chapter.

The board of supervisors may levy a special tax pursuant to Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 50075) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 5 of the Government Code, and spend the proceeds for the purposes of this chapter.

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(Repealed and added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 332, Sec. 83. (SB 113) Effective January 1, 2010.)

Section § 1550.3

In special road maintenance districts, the county road commissioner is responsible for all the work. Moreover, the same laws that apply to spending road funds from property taxes also apply to the funds spent in these districts.

All work done in special road maintenance districts shall be done by the county road commissioner and all laws relating to the expenditure of road funds raised by property taxes shall apply to the expenditures of said districts.

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(Amended by Stats. 1957, Ch. 413.)

Section § 1552

Any money collected from special taxes meant for highways and roads must be used only for those purposes in the specific area where the taxes were collected. The local governing body, or board of supervisors, is responsible for ensuring these funds are allocated to the right areas and kept in separate accounts by the county treasurer.

Except as otherwise provided in this code, all revenues from special taxes levied for highway and road purposes collected in each road district shall be expended for highway and road purposes within the district in which collected.

The board of supervisors shall cause such tax collected each year to be apportioned to the several road districts entitled thereto, and to be kept by the county treasurer in separate funds.

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(Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 332, Sec. 85. (SB 113) Effective January 1, 2010.)