Antelope Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District

Antelope Valley MVCD was established by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 1958 as a public health agency. Since its formation, the District has increased its size from approximately 178 square miles to over 287 square miles, including the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, as well as Quartz Hill. The Mosquito District is the sole provider of year-round mosquito and vector control services where your property is located. It is an independent special district, not part of the County or any City, and is governed by a local five- member Board of Trustees, consisting of representatives from Lancaster, Palmdale, and LA County

You are a property owner served by the Antelope Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District (“Antelope Valley MVCD” or the “District”) and are being asked to vote on a proposed funding measure to ensure continued and improved mosquito, vector, and disease control services in your area. Your ballot is your opportunity to participate in deciding whether local funding should be approved. Your vote on this matter is important because only returned ballots will be counted.

The Mosquito District is currently funded by a very small portion of local property taxes, and an insufficient yearly special assessment that was established in 1958. The revenues collected from this assessment are not only insufficient, but have been historically low in comparison to neighboring agencies. The District takes pride in providing efficient control of mosquitoes. The proposed assessment would help cover the gap between property taxes and growing operational expenses and allow the District to be able to continue providing and improving year round control of invasive mosquitoes, such as the emerging Aedes aegypti, and the diseases they carry. In response to an increase of Aedes aegypti “the yellow fever mosquito” in Los Angeles County, the District is looking to hire two additional technicians. Controlling Aedes aegypti requires focused monitoring, testing and treatment to keep our communities healthy and safe. With an additional funding source, the District would be able to continue providing and improving year-round control of invasive mosquitoes and the diseases they carry. As well as be better prepared for the potential introduction of any other invasive mosquito species or emerging disease which may threaten the District residents.

An annual mosquito and vector control assessment would enable the District to continue to provide, and potentially improve, current mosquito and disease control services. The following are some of these services:

• Provide free mosquito-eating fish to property owners for backyard ponds and other water features.
• Control mosquito sources with environmentally sound products wherever mosquito larvae or pupae are found.
• Testing for diseases that can be carried by mosquitoes.
• Respond rapidly to service requests concerning mosquitoes
• Provide community education on how to treat and prevent vector sources
• Increased treaments to stormdrains which are currently a huge breeding ground for mosquitoes
• Help control and treat green pools in your neighborhood, which are a major source of mosquitoes

The total annual costs of the proposed improved mosquito, vector, and disease testing and control services to be funded by the assessment would be allocated to each property based on the estimated special benefit received. The method of benefit allocation is based on the relative special benefit to a property in relation to a single family home, the type of property, and its size. The total proposed amount of assessment for your property is shown on the enclosed ballot. If you own multiple properties, your ballot will show the total proposed assessment amount for each one. An Engineer’s Report describing the proposed improvements, method and basis upon which the amount of the proposed assessment was calculated, special benefits, budgets, etc. is available for review on our website www.avmosquito.org, or you may request a copy in person at Antelope Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District’s, Administrative Office, 42624 6th St. E., Lancaster, CA 93535.

The proposed assessment for your property or properties for fiscal year 2022-23 is printed on the Official Ballot included with this notice and information guide. For single-family homes, the typical base annual assessment is proposed to be $10.50. The proposed base assessment for other property types is calculated based on factors such as the number of dwelling units, parcel size, etc. An Engineer’s Report with calculations for each property type is available for review upon request, and also on our website. The total estimated amount assessed to the entire area subject to this assessment would be approximately $1,057,554 for fiscal year 2022-23.

The assessment will be continued in future years as long as the Board of Trustees approves an annual resolution for continuation of this assessment. In future years after 2022-23, the assessment can only be increased for inflation by an amount equal to the change in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA CPI, as of December of each succeeding year (“CPI”), not to exceed 3% per year. This annual adjustment, which must be reviewed and approved annually at a public meeting, will help keep the assessment revenues in line with the cost of providing mosquito and vector control services in future years.

To complete the enclosed official ballot, mark the oval next to either Yes or No, sign the ballot, fold it in half and place it in the provided postage paid return envelope and mail it to Antelope Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District, 42624 6th St. E., Lancaster, CA 93535. You may also hand deliver it at the public hearing (see below for the time and location). Only official ballots which are signed and marked with the property owner’s support or opposition will be counted. Ballots must be received by the end of the Public Hearing scheduled on Tuesday, July 5, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. If you lose your ballot, require a replacement ballot, or want to change your vote, call Antelope Valley MVCD at (661) 942-2917 for another ballot. See the enclosed ballot for additional instructions. Ballots are weighted by the proposed amount of assessment and will be tabulated accordingly. The assessment will not be imposed if, upon the conclusion of the public hearing, weighted ballots submitted in opposition to the assessment exceed the weighted ballots submitted in favor of the assessment. If a majority of weighted ballots returned are in support, the assessment may be levied for fiscal year 2022-23 and may be continued in future years.

A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, July 25, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. at the Delta MVCD District Office located at 42624 6th St. E. Lancaster, CA 93535. The public is encouraged to attend. Currently, Public Hearings will be a Zoom Teleconference meeting held in accordance with Government Code section 54953 and Governor Newsom’s executive order N-25-20. Please contact Leann Verdick @leann@avmosquito.org for meeting links. Tabulation of the returned ballots will commence after the close of the public input portion of the hearing on July 5, 2022, and the results of the tabulation are expected to be announced at the following special meeting on July 13, 2022. The funds from this assessment can only be used to provide mosquito and vector control services within the Antelope Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.