(a) (1) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the land acquisition, improvements, and services provided by the regional district formed pursuant to Section 5506.3 will specifically benefit the properties assessed and the persons paying the assessments authorized in this section in at least the following respects:

(A) Enhanced recreational opportunities and expanded access to recreational facilities for all residents throughout the regional district.

(B) Improved quality of life for all communities in the regional district by protecting, restoring, and improving the regional district’s irreplaceable park, wildlife, open-space, and beach lands.

(C) Preservation of canyons, foothills, and mountains and development of public access to these lands throughout the regional district.

(D) Protection of the diverse historical, cultural, and archaeological values of the territory of the regional district.

(E) Increased economic activity and expanded employment opportunities within the regional district.

(F) Increased property values, resulting from the benefits specified in this subdivision.

(G) Provision of benefits to all properties within the regional district, including positive impacts on air and water quality, capacity of roads, transportation and other public infrastructure systems, schools, and public utilities.

(2) The Legislature further finds and declares all of the following:

(A) The expansion, restoration, and improvement of park, recreational, beach, and open-space lands throughout the regional district benefits all residents in the regional district.

(B) Protection, restoration, and improvement of the lands within the regional district are vital to the quality of life for all residents in the regional district.

(C) Increased park and recreational opportunities in the densely populated and heavily urbanized areas of the regional district are vital to the health and well-being of all residents in the regional district, and providing those opportunities is a high priority.

(D) Portions of parcels of land that are in commercial agricultural use do not benefit from park or open-space lands, facilities, or services funded pursuant to this section.

(b) In addition to the authority conferred in Section 5539.5, to the extent not inconsistent with this section, the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972 (Part 2 (commencing with Section 22500) of Division 15 of the Streets and Highways Code), is applicable to the regional district, except as follows:

(1) Article 2 (commencing with Section 22605) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 15 of the Streets and Highways Code does not apply.

(2) No changes shall be made pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 22620) of Part 2 of Division 15 of the Streets and Highways Code or Section 5572 of this code with respect to the rate and method of apportionment of assessments, the use of proceeds of assessments, the use of proceeds of bonds, and the territory included within the district, except that the governing body may correct errors in assessments, rule on appeals of assessments against particular parcels, and annually adjust the assessments levied against particular parcels of real property to reflect changes in the uses of those parcels.

(3) No changes shall be made to the rate and method of apportionment of any assessment approved by the voters and levied pursuant to this section.

(4) In addition to the items required by § 22567 of the Streets and Highways Code, the regional district’s annual report shall include all of the following:

(A) Changes in the total number of parcels assessed and changes in the number of parcels with respect to use code.

(B) The amount of revenue expected to be received by the regional district in the next fiscal year.

(C) The proposed allocation of funds for operation and maintenance for the next fiscal year.

(D) The expenditure of funds in the current fiscal year.

(5) Any notice required pursuant to the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972, § 54954.6 of the Government Code, or Section 5511 shall be published pursuant to § 6064 of the Government Code.

(6) (A) (i) The governing body shall not levy any assessment unless a proposition authorizing the regional district to levy the assessment is first approved by a majority of the voters voting on the proposition. The proposition shall include the matters specified in subdivision (c) of Section 5506.3, except for paragraph (6). The election held pursuant to this paragraph shall satisfy the requirement for any election that may be required under § 22525.5 of the Streets and Highways Code.

(ii) No additional assessment shall be levied pursuant to this section, including any assessment for time periods beyond those specified in paragraphs (7) and (8) of subdivision (c) of Section 5506.3, unless a proposition, including the provisions specified in paragraphs (5), (8), and (9) of subdivision (c) of Section 5506.3, is approved by a majority of the voters in the regional district voting on the proposition.

(B) Notwithstanding Section 5518, the County Counsel of the County of San Diego shall prepare the language in the ballot label. The analysis and review of the measure shall be carried out pursuant to § 9160 of the Elections Code.

(C) The Board of Supervisors of San Diego County may consolidate a proposition submitted to the voters pursuant to this paragraph into a single ballot measure with the proposition whether to form the regional district submitted pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (c) of Section 5506.3.

(D) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972, any assessment proposed pursuant to that act shall be deemed levied upon approval of a majority of the voters voting on the proposition.

(7) (A) All proceeds of assessments levied or bonds issued by the regional district shall be allocated in accordance with paragraphs (5) and (8) of subdivision (c) of Section 5506.3.

(B) Any future expenditure plan shall include a division of funds between expenditures for capital outlay projects and expenditures for operation and maintenance, a list of proposed capital outlay projects, and a description of areas proposed for acquisition. No expenditure plan shall contain any provision that may impair the payment of debt service on bonds or other evidence of indebtedness previously issued pursuant to this section. Any assessment levied pursuant to this section may include an annual amount to pay the costs of operation and maintenance and may be collected in annual installments.

(c) Prior to the election required by paragraph (6) of subdivision (b), the Board of Supervisors of San Diego County may undertake proceedings on behalf of the proposed regional district in accordance with Part 2 (commencing with Section 22500) of Division 15 of the Streets and Highways Code to create an assessment district with the same boundaries as the proposed regional district. Hearings required pursuant to Part 2 (commencing with Section 22500) of Division 15 of the Streets and Highways Code may be consolidated with those required pursuant to this article. Those proceedings shall be deemed to be the proceedings required by Part 2 (commencing with Section 22500) of Division 15 of the Streets and Highways Code.

(d) (1) The governing body shall exempt from assessment any uninhabited parcel that is substantially used in agriculture and any parcel enforceably restricted as open-space land during the time that the parcel is so used or restricted, if the governing body determines that the parcel will not benefit from the expenditure of the proceeds of assessments.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision, lands that are enforceably restricted as open-space lands include, but are not limited to, lands restricted under contract pursuant to the Williamson Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 51200) of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 5 of the Government Code) and lands restricted pursuant to a conservation easement.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision in the acts specified in Section 5539.5 and in subdivision (b), the net amount to be assessed upon lands within an assessment district may be apportioned by any formula or method that fairly distributes the net amount among all assessable lots or parcels in proportion to the estimated benefits to be received by each lot or parcel from the improvements.

(f) The regional district shall not levy assessments beyond the last maturity date of any bonds issued pursuant to Section 5539.3, nor longer than 30 years from the date on which the assessment is first levied.

(g) The regional district shall not levy an assessment within a city or within the unincorporated territory of the county if the city or the county has adopted an ordinance limiting rents, and that ordinance applies to real property other than mobilehome parks, unless one of the following applies:

(1) Under the ordinance, the owner of the real property is permitted to increase directly without filing requirements, the rent rate owed by a tenant under an existing lease in an amount not less than that tenant’s proportional share of one-half of the increased assessment applied to the real property.

(2) An amount not less than a tenant’s proportional share of one-half of the increased assessment applied to the real property is added to an annual general adjustment to the rental rate owed by that tenant.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 923, Sec. 166. Effective January 1, 1995.)