COMMON
QUESTIONS GLOSSARY
OF TERMINOLOGY
1. What is LAFCO?
LAFCO
is an acronym for Local Agency Formation Commission. It is a regulatory agency with county-wide jurisdiction,
established by State Law (Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg
Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000) to discourage urban sprawl
and to encourage orderly and efficient provision of services, such as water,
sewer, fire protection, etc. San Diego
LAFCO is a state-mandated agency and is independent of county government.
2. What does LAFCO do?
LAFCO is responsible for reviewing and approving proposed
jurisdictional boundary changes, including annexations and detachments of
territory to and/or from cities and special districts, incorporations of new
cities, formations of new special districts, and consolidations, mergers, and
dissolutions of existing districts. In
addition, LAFCO must review and approve contractual service agreements, determine
spheres of influence for each city and district, and may initiate proposals
involving district consolidation, dissolution, establishment of subsidiary
districts, mergers, and reorganizations (combinations of these jurisdictional
changes).
With the passage of new legislation in 2000, LAFCOs also
were charged with the responsibility to conduct municipal service reviews. A Municipal Service Review
(MSR) is a study
designed to determine the adequacy of governmental services being provided in
the region or sub-region. Developing
and updating spheres of influence and performing service reviews for each city
and special district within the county may be used by LAFCO, other governmental
agencies, and the public to better understand and improve service conditions.
3. Who are the members of LAFCO?
The San Diego LAFCO is composed of eight regular
Commissioners: two members from the
Board of Supervisors; one representative from the City of San Diego; two
members who represent the other cities in San Diego County; two members who
represent special districts; and one public member. There are five alternate Commissioners; one from each of the
above-membership categories. LAFCO
employs an independent staff headed by an executive officer.
4. When and where does the Commission meet?
Regular LAFCO meetings are scheduled for 9:00 am, on the
first Monday of each month, in Room 358 of the County Administration Center,
1600 Pacific Highway. When the first
Monday is a holiday, the meeting is usually held the following Monday.
5. How long will it take to process my proposal?
If your proposal is considered routine and is
non-controversial, processing time is approximately 4 to 6 months after
a complete set of application materials have been submitted to the LAFCO
office. More complex proposals may take
additional time to process.
6. Is the public notified about LAFCO actions?
State Law requires that LAFCO notify affected agencies and
the public regarding most jurisdictional boundary change proposals. Notification of a pending proposal is made
to County departments, interested individuals, and local governmental
agencies. In addition, comments are
solicited from community groups as well as agencies that may potentially be
affected by a LAFCO project. LAFCO must
also wait until information is returned from the County Assessor, Auditor, and
various state agencies before a proposal may be scheduled for a public hearing.
7. Does LAFCO charge a fee to process jurisdictional boundary
change proposals?
By law, LAFCO is authorized to charge the estimated reasonable
cost to process jurisdictional boundary change proposals. Processing fees vary depending on the type
of proposal (i.e., annexation, district formation, reorganization, etc.). Annexation and detachment fees also are
based on acreage. Please refer to
LAFCO’s fee schedule located on-line at this web site or contact the LAFCO
office at 531-5400 for fee calculation information.
8. What is a sphere of influence?
A sphere of influence is a planning tool adopted and used
by LAFCO to designate the future boundary and service area for a city or
special district.
9. Can a sphere of influence be changed?
Yes. LAFCO may
amend and periodically update spheres of influence.
10. Is LAFCO required to comply with the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA)?
Yes. LAFCO must
comply with California’s environmental laws.
