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2024 Prop 218 Election

Proposition 218 Passed – What’s Next for the GSA and Landowners

The Proposition 218 results were announced at the June 26th board meeting and public hearing, with 87% of votes received in favor of the assessment. The Board of Directors set a $6 per acre assessment rate for fiscal year 2024-2025.

The Board will set the rate annually, and plans to draw money from reserves to gradually increase the rate until it reaches the approved maximum of $18 per acre in 2027, as detailed in the approved Prop 218 budget. Landowners can expect to see the assessment as part of their county property taxes this fall. The assessment will be payable in December 2024 and April 2025.

The assessment will fund the implementation of the agency’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), which is essential for keeping the North Fork Kings GSA’s good standing with the State and maintaining local control over groundwater management.

Prop 218 assessments will fund:

  1. Administrative costs: maintain administrative functions, covering expenses related to General Manager duties and future agency staff
  2. Professional services: includes consultants and attorneys that provide a range of services needed for the agency’s operations in support of GSA activities
  3. GSP implementation: expenses for implementing our GSP to meet State sustainability requirements

To learn more about the Prop 218 election and access resources including the approved budget, visit northforkkings.org/218election.

North Fork Kings GSA Proposition 218 Election Passes – Next Steps for the GSA and Landowners

Following the June 26 North Fork Kings GSA board meeting and public hearing, the successful Proposition 218 election results were announced, with 87% of votes in support. Votes in the election were weighted by acreage, and 514 ballots were received. The Board of Directors set the assessment rate at $6.00 per acre for fiscal year 2024-2025.

The agency plans to escalate the rate each fiscal year until it reaches the approved maximum of $18 per acre in 2027, as detailed in the now-approved Prop 218 budget. Beginning this fall 2024, landowners will see the assessment as part of their county property taxes and will be payable in December 2024 and April 2025.

We appreciate our landowners’ support on the Prop 218 and their trust in our GSA to continue managing our groundwater with local leadership,” said North Fork Kings GSA General Manager Justin Mendes. “This funding is a crucial part of maintaining our approval from the State and will enable us to continue striving for sustainability under local management.”

The assessment will help implement GSP activities and programs that are essential in keeping the North Fork Kings GSA’s good standing with the State. SGMA is an unfunded mandate, leaving it up to the local GSA to generate funding to meet its requirements.

Where will assessments be invested?

  1. Administrative costs: this enables the agency to maintain administrative functions, covering expenses related to General Manager duties and future agency staff
  2. Professional services: this includes consultants and attorneys that provide a variety of services needed for the agency’s operations in support of GSA activities for the General Manager
  3. GSP implementation: this includes expenses for implementing its Groundwater Sustainability Plan to meet State sustainability requirements

Most immediately, the funding will help the GSA fund the required work to update its Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for resubmittal in January 2025. The North Fork Kings GSA received conditional approval on its GSP from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) in 2023. The approval was conditional on the grounds that the GSA fix twelve corrective actions provided by DWR.

The North Fork Kings GSA, along with the six other Kings Subbasin GSAs, are working to address the corrective actions to keep State approval and avoid the risk of the probationary process. Passing the Prop 218 election was a critical step to achieve that goal.

The North Fork Kings GSA has been funded through land-based assessments since 2018. That year, the GSA passed a Prop 218 election with 94% of votes in support of the assessment. The previous election authorized the agency to assess up to a maximum of $10 per acre per year but had a five-year sunset concluding with fiscal year 2022-2023. Reserves were used to fund GSA activities in fiscal year 2023-2024. The North Fork Kings GSA is committed to the same financial stewardship it used for the duration of the previous Prop 218 assessment, and will set the rate annually to meet anticipated expenses while keeping assessments as low as possible for landowners.

With continued collaboration with landowners, the North Fork Kings GSA looks forward to operating as a local, stakeholder-driven agency. To learn more about the Prop 218 and for future updates, visit www.northforkkings.org/218election.

Read our Prop 218 Educational Handout and FAQs here.

Board moves forward on Proposition 218 election and invites landowners to participate and stay engaged

The North Fork Kings GSA Board of Directors approved the Engineer’s Report at their March 27 meeting, a required initial step of conducting a Proposition 218 (Prop 218) election.

Through this Prop 218 election, landowners are being asked to approve a land-based assessment rate with an $18/acre per year maximum. The Board of Directors will set the rate annually and is planning on drawing some money from reserves to gradually increase the assessment over the next five years. In its proposed budget, the Board plans to start with a rate of $6 per acre in fiscal year 2024-25, escalating each year until it reaches the $18 per acre maximum.

The table below shows the proposed budget and schedule for assessment rates over the next five years and the funding categories.

Funding local groundwater efforts

In 2023, North Fork Kings GSA received approval on its Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), marking a significant milestone for the agency and its landowners by allowing the North Fork Kings GSA to locally carry out sustainability efforts.

This approval gives the North Fork Kings GSA the benefit of implementing its GSP at a pace that allows for landowner and stakeholder input and awareness on future projects and programs. Without pressure of immediate State intervention, the North Fork Kings GSA can develop required management actions, like groundwater allocations, with a measured and methodical multi-year approach.

Although approval of the GSP was received, additional funding is necessary to implement GSP activities and programs essential to keep the North Fork Kings GSA’s good standing with the State. Along with GSP approval, DWR included 12 corrective actions the GSA must address in its 2025 GSP update. SGMA is an unfunded mandate, leaving it up to the local GSA to generate funding to meet its requirements. To adequately address these actions and maintain its approved status, the North Fork Kings GSA needs the funding proposed through this Prop 218 election.

Previous funding efforts

In 2018, the North Fork Kings GSA passed a Prop 218 election with 94% of votes in support of the assessment. The previous election authorized the agency to assess up to a maximum of $10 per acre per year but had a five-year sunset concluding with fiscal year 2022-2023. Reserves were used to fund GSA activities in fiscal year 2023-2024. Due to this sunset of the previous authorization, additional landowner authorization is needed to fund the North Fork Kings GSA’s activities moving forward.

The North Fork Kings GSA has been careful to steward landowner dollars collected from the prior Prop 218 authorization, using funding to initiate the implementation of state sustainability requirements and develop a successful GSP. Additionally, the agency did not collect any assessments in 2023 because it had enough in its reserves for GSA administration, continue GSP implementation activities, and begin work on addressing the corrective actions identified by DWR.

More information coming soon

More information on Prop 218 will be made available soon. Landowners should be on the lookout for the Prop 218 ballot and notice in their mailboxes in early May. Ballots must be submitted by the Public Hearing on June 26.

For more information, visit www.northforkkings.org/218election where you can access the Engineers Report and proposed budget for the Prop 218 election. Additional resources and information will become available on the Prop 218 webpage in the coming weeks. We invite you to stay engaged by signing up for our email list if you have not already (you can do so at northforkkings.org), attending an upcoming workshop, or contacting us with questions at 559-632-7032.

Please also share the news with your neighbor, and invite them to stay engaged.

Join us at an upcoming workshop

Attend an upcoming Prop 218 educational workshop at the Riverdale Memorial Hall, located at 3085 W. Mt. Whitney Ave, Riverdale, CA 93656, to learn more about the Prop 218 election:

Workshop #1: Tuesday, May 21, 5:30 – 7:00 PM (Interpretación disponible en español)

Workshop #2: Wednesday, June 5, 8:00 – 9:30 AM

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