Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1451, Sec. 1.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982”.
California Government Code — §§ 53311-53317.5
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1451, Sec. 1.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982”.
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1451, Sec. 1.
This chapter provides an alternative method of financing certain public capital facilities and services, especially in developing areas and areas undergoing rehabilitation. The provisions of this chapter shall not affect or limit any other provisions of law authorizing or providing for the furnishing of governmental facilities or services or the raising of revenue for these purposes. A local government may use the provisions of this chapter instead of any other method of financing part or all of the cost of providing the authorized kinds of capital facilities and services.
Repealed and added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 1102, Sec. 2. Effective September 24, 1986.
Any provision in this chapter which conflicts with any other provision of law shall prevail over the other provision of law.
Added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 538, Sec. 1. Effective September 9, 1985.
The local agency may take any actions or make any determinations which it determines are necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this chapter and which are not otherwise prohibited by law.
Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 670, Sec. 54. Effective January 1, 2008.
Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 652, Sec. 1. (SB 390) Effective January 1, 2026.
include a territory within or annex a territory to a community facilities district, if, despite the dedication or restriction, the territory meets either of the following conditions:
landowner and any local agency may not terminate any easement or effect a final cancellation of any contract with respect to any portion of the land included within or annexed to the community facilities district prior to the release of land that is the subject of the proposed termination or cancellation from all liens that arise under the community facilities district for any sewers, nonagricultural water, or streets and roads that did not benefit land uses allowed under the contract or easement.
tentative map may be filed pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 66474.4 or for which a tentative cancellation has been approved.
that is subject to any of the following:
Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 258, Sec. 20. (AB 2327) Effective January 1, 2023. Operative January 1, 2024, pursuant to Sec. 130 of Stats. 2022, Ch. 258.
A community facilities district may be established under this chapter to finance any one or more of the following types of services within an area:
levied for any of the services specified in this subdivision only upon approval of the registered voters as specified in subdivision (b) of Section 53326. An election to enact a special tax for recreation program services, library services, and the operation and maintenance of museums and cultural facilities may be conducted pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 53326.
subdivision, the terms “remedial action” and “removal” shall have the meanings set forth in Sections 78125 and 78135, respectively, of the Health and Safety Code, and the term “hazardous substance” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 25281 of the Health and Safety Code. Community facilities districts shall provide the State Department of Health Care Services and local health and building departments with notification of any cleanup activity pursuant to this subdivision at least 30 days prior to commencement of the activity.
A community facilities district tax approved by vote of the landowners of the district may only finance the services
authorized in this section to the extent that they are in addition to those provided in the territory of the district before the district was created. The additional services shall not supplant services already available within that territory when the district was created.
Bonds shall not be issued pursuant to this chapter to fund any of the services specified in this section, although bonds may be issued to fund capital facilities to be used in providing these services.
Added by renumbering Section 53313.8 (as added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1451) by Stats. 1992, Ch. 427, Sec. 64. Effective January 1, 1993.
To the extent that any capital facility is provided under this chapter, a duplicate levy, impact fee, or other exaction may not be required for the same purpose under Section 66477.
Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 670, Sec. 56. Effective January 1, 2008.
Any territory within a community facilities district established for the acquisition or improvement of school facilities for a school district shall be exempt from any fee, increase in any fee other than a cost-of-living increase as authorized by law, or other requirement first levied, increased, or imposed pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 17620) of Part 10.5 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code or under Chapter 4.7 (commencing with Section 65970) of Division 1 of Title 7, by or to benefit any other school district, except as otherwise negotiated between the school districts. That exemption shall apply until a date 10 years following the most recent issuance of bonds by the community facilities district or, if no bonds have ever been issued by the community facilities district, a date 10 years following the formation of the community facilities district.
Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 55, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2004.
The legislative body may enter into an agreement for the construction of discrete portions or phases of facilities to be constructed and purchased consistent with Section 53313.5. The agreement may include any provisions that the legislative body determines are necessary or convenient, but shall do all of the following:
Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 670, Sec. 58. Effective January 1, 2008.
The legislative body may provide for adjustments in ad valorem property taxes pursuant to Section 53313.7 within a community facilities district only after making both of the following findings at the conclusion of the public hearing held pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 53318):
Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 1193, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1994.
Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 670, Sec. 60. Effective January 1, 2008.
Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 1110, Sec. 4.
The legislative body may from time to time transfer moneys to a community facilities district or to an improvement area within a community facilities district, for the benefit of the district or improvement area, from any funds available to the legislative body. Any moneys so transferred may be used for the payment of any currently payable expenses incurred by reason of the construction or acquisition of any facilities or provision of any authorized services within the district or improvement area prior to December 1 of the first fiscal year in which a special tax may be levied for the facilities or services within the district or improvement area. The rate of interest earned by the investment of those moneys shall be determined by the legislative body.
Amended by Stats. 1987, Ch. 1440, Sec. 2.
In the first fiscal year in which a special tax or charge is levied for any facility or for any services in a community facilities district or a zone within a community facilities district, the legislative body shall include in the levy a sum sufficient to repay to the legislative body the amounts transferred to that district or zone pursuant to Section 53314. The amounts borrowed, with interest, shall be retransferred to the proper fund or funds from the first available receipts from the special levy in that district or zone.
Notwithstanding the above provisions, the legislative body may, by a resolution adopted no later than the time of the first levy, extend the repayment of the transferred funds over a period of time not to exceed three consecutive years, in which event the levy and each subsequent levy shall include a sum sufficient to repay the amount specified by the legislative body for the year of the levy.
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1451, Sec. 1.
Pursuant to a resolution adopted by the legislative body, the legislative body may appropriate any of its available moneys to a revolving fund to be used for the acquisition of real or personal property, engineering services, or the construction of structures or improvements needed in whole or in part to provide one or more of the facilities of a community facilities district. The revolving fund shall be reimbursed from tax revenues or other moneys available from the facilities district, and no sums shall be disbursed from the fund until the legislative body has, by resolution, established the method by, and term not exceeding five years within, which the community facilities district is to reimburse the fund. The district shall reimburse the fund for any amount disbursed to the area within five years after such disbursement, together with interest at the current rate per annum received on similar types of investments by the legislative body as determined by the local agency’s treasurer.
Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 670, Sec. 61. Effective January 1, 2008.
Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 258, Sec. 23. (AB 2327) Effective January 1, 2023. Operative January 1, 2024, pursuant to Sec. 130 of Stats. 2022, Ch. 258.
deposited in the revolving fund in accordance with Section 53314.6.
sites.
Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 1110, Sec. 5.
At any time either before or after the formation of the district, the legislative body may provide, by ordinance, that for a period specified in the ordinance, the local agency may contribute, from any source of revenue not otherwise prohibited by law, any specified amount, portion, or percentage of the revenues for the purposes set forth in the ordinance, limited to the following: the acquisition or construction of a facility, the acquisition of interest in real property, or the payment of debt service with respect to the financing of either, the provision of authorized services, and the payment of expenses incidental thereto. The contribution shall not constitute an indebtedness or liability of the local agency.
Amended by Stats. 1987, Ch. 1440, Sec. 2.5.
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1451, Sec. 1.
This chapter shall be liberally construed in order to effectuate its purposes. No error, irregularity, informality, and no neglect or omission of any officer, in any procedure taken under this chapter, which does not directly affect the jurisdiction of the legislative body to order the installation of the facility or the provision of service, shall void or invalidate such proceeding or any levy for the costs of such facility or service.
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1451, Sec. 1.
The failure of any person to receive a notice, resolution, order, or other matter shall not affect in any way whatsoever the validity of any proceedings taken under this chapter, or prevent the legislative body from proceeding with any hearing so noticed.
Added by Stats. 1987, Ch. 1440, Sec. 3.
When any proceeding is initiated under this chapter by a legislative body other than that of a city or county, a copy of the resolution of intention shall be transmitted to the legislative body of the city, where the land to be assessed lies within the corporate limits of any city, or of the county, where the land to be assessed lies within an unincorporated territory.
Added by Stats. 1987, Ch. 1440, Sec. 3.1.
A county may not form a district within the territorial jurisdiction of a city without the consent of the legislative body of the city.
Amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 1365, Sec. 5.
This chapter applies to all local agencies insofar as those entities have the power to install or contribute revenue for any of the facilities or provide or contribute revenue for any of the services authorized under this chapter. This chapter authorizes local agencies to create community facilities districts pursuant to this chapter within their territorial limits. A local agency may initiate proceedings pursuant to Section 53318 to include territory proposed for annexation to the local agency within a community facilities district if a petition or resolution of application for the annexation of the territory to the local agency has been accepted for filing and a certificate of filing has been issued by the executive officer of the local agency formation commission at the time the proceedings to create the district are initiated. Those proceedings may be completed only if the annexation of the territory to the local agency is completed. The officers of local agencies who have similar powers and duties, as determined by the legislative body of the local agency, as the municipal officers referred to in this chapter shall have the powers and duties given by this chapter to the municipal officials. Where no similar officer exists, the legislative body of the local agency shall, by resolution, appoint a person or designate an officer to perform the duties under this chapter. Any local agency that has no authority to enact an ordinance under other laws may, for purposes of this chapter, enact an ordinance in substantially the same manner as provided for the enactment of a city ordinance in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 36900) of Part 2 of Division 3 of Title 4.
Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 219, Sec. 3. (SB 692) Effective January 1, 2014.
agency that created the district enters into a joint agreement with the public agency that would, in the absence of the district, enter into an agreement with the state or federal agency for the provision of the facilities or services.
each entity adopts a resolution declaring that the joint agreement would be beneficial to the residents of that entity. This subdivision shall not be construed to limit the ability of a joint powers authority created pursuant to the Joint Exercise of Powers Act to exercise the powers authorized by the Joint Exercise of Powers Act.
amendment of a joint community facilities agreement or a joint exercise of powers agreement at any time, if the new agreement or amendment is necessary, as determined by the legislative body, for either of the following reasons:
financed by a larger share of the proceeds of special taxes and bonds of the district or districts created or changed pursuant to the joint exercise of powers agreement or the joint community facilities agreement than any other local agency.
Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 269, Sec. 6. Effective July 3, 1984.
The agreement entered into pursuant to Section 53316.2 shall contain a description of the facilities and services to be provided under the agreement, and any real or tangible property which is to be purchased, constructed, expanded, or rehabilitated.
Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 269, Sec. 7. Effective July 3, 1984.
The agreement entered into pursuant to Section 53316.2 may provide for the division of responsibility to provide any of the facilities or services among the entities entering into the agreement. The agreement shall provide for the allocation and distribution of the proceeds of any special tax levy among the parties to the agreement.
Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 219, Sec. 4. (SB 692) Effective January 1, 2014.
Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions contained in this article shall govern the construction of this chapter.
including incidental expenses.
out the authorized purposes of the district.
any local agency.
replacement.
Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 1110, Sec. 6.5.
If property not otherwise exempt from a special tax levied pursuant to this chapter is acquired by a public entity through a negotiated transaction, or by gift or devise, the special tax shall, notwithstanding Section 53340, continue to be levied on the property acquired and shall be enforceable against the public entity that acquired the property. However, even if the resolution of formation that authorized creation of the district did not specify conditions under which the obligation to pay a special tax may be prepaid and permanently satisfied, the legislative body of the local agency that created the district may specify conditions under which the public agency that acquires the property may prepay and satisfy the obligation to pay the tax. The conditions may be specified only if the local agency that created the district finds and determines that the prepayment arrangement will fully protect the interests of the owners of the district’s bonds.
Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 1102, Sec. 11. Effective September 24, 1986.
If property subject to a special tax levied pursuant to this chapter is acquired by a public entity through eminent domain proceedings, the obligation to pay the special tax shall be treated, pursuant to Section 1265.250 of the Code of Civil Procedure, as if it were a special annual assessment. For this purpose, the present value of the obligation to pay a special tax to pay the principal and interest on any indebtedness incurred by the district prior to the date of apportionment determined pursuant to Section 5082 of the Revenue and Taxation Code shall be treated the same as a fixed lien special assessment.