Fast Facts
What is the South Lakeport Annexation Project? The City of Lakeport proposed to annex an area adjacent to South Main Street and Soda Bay Road. This will extend the City Limits so that they include this area, transferring control and provision of many essential government services from Lake County to the City of Lakeport. The area contains 50 parcels which total 123.64 acres in area plus additional roadway rights-of-way for a total acreage of 136.78 acres. In August 2019, the City submitted an application to the Lake County Local Agency Formation Commission (Lake LAFCo). At Lake LAFCo's direction, both the City and County participated in a good faith process to investigate the fiscal impacts of annexation, and reached a new Tax Sharing Agreement.
In a Joint Meeting on January 11, 2022, the Lake County Board of Supervisors and Lakeport City Council took historic action to move forward on the South Lakeport Annexation, unanimously adopting a Tax Sharing Agreement. Both parties believe Annexation, under the agreed terms, will increase government efficiency, while also delivering enhanced services to residents and businesses in the Annexation area.
How will annexation affect landowners? Once approved, landowners will be able to use City of Lakeport municipal services, including the option to connect to City water. Registered voters residing in the area will also be eligible to participate in City elections.
Why is the City of Lakeport applying to annex this area? Lakeport residents within and outside of the annexation area will benefit. Extending water mains in South Main Street will create a closed loop in the City’s water system which will increase the reliability and resilience of the system overall, and reduce total maintenance costs for all Lakeport residents.
For those in the project area, access to cost-effective public water services will help address water quality issues some have been facing. The switch to municipal police service will also mean reduced response time (about 3.5 minutes).
We believe businesses will invest with confidence, knowing a quality complement of readily-accessible services is available, and we look forward to thoughtful infill development in this area producing Countywide and regional benefits.
Will landowners be required to connect existing buildings when water mains are extended in the future? No. Property owners will be able to choose whether to connect to City water. Connection will only be required if a property has a failing septic system that poses a health problem.
Will the cost of home insurance change? Will property values change? Possibly. The cost of fire insurance is likely to decrease. Theft and casualty insurance may also be slightly less. Property values may go up due to the availability of improved municipal services. Consult your insurance or real estate agent regarding your specific situation.
Who is paying for the annexation application and related costs? The City of Lakeport is paying all costs related to the annexation application.
Will landowners’ property taxes increase? No.
Will landowners’ property be re-assessed? No. Under California’s Proposition 13, properties are only reassessed when sold or following major improvements.
Will business owners need to charge increased sales tax? Yes. The tax rate in the City of Lakeport is 8.75% compared to 7.25% in the Unincorporated Areas of Lake County. City sales tax is used to provide public services: law enforcement; road maintenance; parks; and more. The newly annexed area will be part of our City, and business owners will benefit from all Lakeport has to offer.
Are there utility taxes? What about garbage and recycling? The City of Lakeport does not tax electric, phone, or cable utilities. Garbage, recycling, and green waste collection are handled by Lakeport Disposal and curbside collection is mandatory within the City limits. This existing arrangement would extend to the newly annexed area.
Will addresses or ZIP codes change? No. Addresses and Zip Codes will stay the same.
Will students change school districts? Students will not have to change school districts or schools.
What County services will I lose? Duties performed by County Public Works, Planning & Building, most Government Services and the Sheriff’s Office will instead be provided by the City of Lakeport, if the annexation is approved. All other services currently provided by the County (e.g. Health and Human and Social Services) will continue.
What laws govern this process? The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (also referred to as the CKH Act) allows cities and/or property owners to request that unincorporated land be annexed into adjacent cities. In this case, the City of Lakeport submitted an annexation application to Lake Local Agency Formation Commission or LAFCO (https://www.lakelafco.org/) which is the decision-making authority that is responsible for determining whether or not to approve annexations in Lake County. Lake LAFCO is comprised of seven members including two Lakeport City Council members, two Lake County supervisors, two Special District representatives, and a public member.
What steps has the City of Lakeport made to prepare for the annexation? The City of Lakeport initiated the South Lakeport Annexation Project in 2015. The City Council amended the Lakeport General Plan to update the Lakeport Sphere of Influence (SOI) to establish the current boundaries of the proposed annexation area. The City also pre-zoned the annexation area to identify applicable designations, should the area be annexed. An Addendum to the Lakeport General Plan Environmental Impact Report was prepared to inform these decisions in accordance with CEQA. The Addendum evaluated whether the revised SOI would result in any new or increased environmental impacts and determined it would not.
City of Lakeport’s General Plan and the associated Final Environmental Impact Report
The Sphere of Influence update from 2015
Lakeport Municipal Service Review from 2012
What do all these acronyms mean?
CEQA is the California Environmental Quality Act. CEQA requires the environmental impacts of projects, such as this proposed annexation, be analyzed and disclosed during the decision-making process..
Lake LAFCo is the Lake County Local Area Formation Committee. Lake LAFCo, not the City of Lakeport or County of Lake, has ultimate decision-making authority over whether to approve the annexation application. https://www.lakelafco.org/
MSR stands for Municipal Services Review. By law, before submitting its annexation application, the City of Lakeport had to formally evaluate its ability to provide services to the annexation area and its residents. It did so by preparing an MSR in 2012.
SOI stands for Sphere of Influence. The City of Lakeport General Plan describes what land falls within the City’s SOI. A SOI identifies land outside of current City boundaries to which City services can be logically extended. Inclusion of an area in the SOI is a required step toward annexation, and the proposed annexation is coterminous with (shares the same physical space with) the City of Lakeport’s southern SOI.
Who can I contact for more information? City of Lakeport staff are available to answer any further questions you might have about the South Lakeport Annexation Project. Please feel free to contact City Manager Kevin Ingram at (707) 263-5615 or kingram@cityoflakeport.com. If he can’t answer your question, he will direct you to someone who can.
FAST FACTS SHEET