Carlsbad Property Owners Approve Special Tax

A new city hall, library and road projects will be built in Carlsbad now that certain property owners have approved a special tax to pay for $109 million in improvements.

Landowners in several areas of Carlsbad have voted to place their undeveloped property in a Mello-Roos assessment district, within which they’ll pay additional taxes so the city can set money aside to prepare for growth.

City Manager Ray Patchett said Wednesday the vote puts the financing in place for key public improvements as the city of 63,000 people grows toward a projected doubling of population by the year 2020.

In a mail-in election that ended Tuesday night, 101 out of 159 landowners voted, but many owners of the smaller properties did not. Of those who voted, 75 favored the district and 26 opposed it.

Those who voted to create the Mello-Roos district own most of the 8,500 acres that will be placed in the district. The properties are in northern, southwest and southeast Carlsbad--areas in the path of growth.

The landowners will pay a special tax, but they’ll be able to develop their land or sell it to residential or industrial-commercial developers.

Patchett said the Mello-Roos tax will ultimately be passed along to consumers through higher home prices rather than a yearly tax on new units.

City officials say the election result will assure enough revenue to pay for projects needed over the next 15 to 20 years to handle anticipated city growth.

Carlsbad Finance Director Jim Elliott said Wednesday, “it was important to find a way to guarantee we’d have the money in the future” for crucial projects.

The Mello-Roos revenue lets the city issue bonds so enough money is immediately available to undertake projects. A Mello-Roos district is named for the state legislators whose bill established the assessment districts in 1982.

First, the city plans to improve busy Palomar Airport Road and build a $15-million, 64,000-square-foot library in La Costa to open in 1993. Then, interchanges on Interstate 5 at Palomar Airport Road, Poinsettia Lane and La Costa Avenue will be widened.

In about 10 years, the city also plans to build a new $20-million city hall, although a location hasn’t been picked. Also, $14 million has been earmarked for a 280-acre Macario Canyon Park.