Yes. LAFCO may amend and periodically update spheres of influence.

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 the LAFCO Fee Schedule or contact the LAFCO office at 858/614-7755 for fee calculation information.

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.

Yes. LAFCO must comply with California’s environmental laws.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Regular LAFCO meetings are scheduled for 9:00 am, on the first Monday of each month, in Room 302 of the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway. When the first Monday is a holiday, the meeting is usually held the following Monday.

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.