On March 6th, 2025, Chris Arce, Director of the City of Vista Public Works Department made a presentation to the Vista Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee. He indicated his department currently operates with 58 staff allocated to Administration, Streets/Stormwater, Fleet, Wastewater, Parks and Facilities/Utilities. Responsibilities also include oversite of the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility.
Maintenance and improvements of streets and parks division are important components of the City’s community service. The Streets division maintains approximately 185 miles of streets, sidewalks, 12,000 street signs, parking lots, pothole repairs, street striping and markings, graffiti abatement and stormwater channel maintenance. The Parks division has 200 park acres, 15 parks, 16,789 trees, and manages 17 sport fields as well as street parkways and median landscapes.
On March 10 and March 18, the City of Vista invited property owners to participate in com- munity meetings regarding potential funding adjustments for essential City services, including landscaping, street lightning, and street maintenance. With rising maintenance costs, the city has faced significant challenges in sustaining current service levels. Assessment amounts have remained unchanged since 1991-1992. This has caused reduced street sweeping and deferred maintenance on streetlights, traffic signals, and roadways.
A portion of tree trimming, landscape and street maintenance in the City of Vista are fund- ed by an annual special financing district assessment. The City is proposing new assessment districts to replace existing ones and provide the necessary funding to maintain current levels of services. These include additional traffic signals and traffic lights, tree maintenance programs, integrated pest management program for all parks and medians, protected green bike lanes, and asphalt and concrete improvements.
Property owners will be receiving two ballots: a) Landscape & Lighting District No. 1 (LLD 1); and b) Street Maintenance District No. 1 (SMD 1) mailed by the end of March. The ballots will show the proposed assessment amounts for each of the replacement districts. There are two easy ways to compare your current to the proposed assessment: a) visit www.CivicMic.com/Vista, scroll down to the community map, search for your address, and click on the parcel; or b) review the ballot insert mailed in your ballot package.
The increase in assessment is minimal and it’s a single annual payment. In my case, it goes up by $1.42 (LLD 1) and $3.82 (SMD 1), or a total of $5.24. That is less than a Venti Chai Latte at Starbucks! I encourage you all to vote in favor of the proposal.
Watch for your ballot in the mail. Ballots must be received by the City no later than May 13, 2025 (regardless of postmark date). Ballots may also be submitted in person to the City Clerk at the Council meeting prior the conclusion of the Public Hearing for this proposed assessment. Ballots will be counted during the city Council meeting on May 23, 2025, at 200 Civic Center Drive in Vista.
— Francis Dumler, President South Vista Communities
