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Contact information for County Supervisors, City Council Members, City and County departments |
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- What is the County policy regarding annexations of unincorporated territory by cities?
- What if I don't want to annex?
- If my neighborhood annexes, will my County Supervisor still represent me?
- If my property is annexed to the City of Bakersfield, will my property taxes increase?
- How are my property taxes, sales taxes, gasoline taxes, and other fees split by the County and the City?
- Will law enforcement protection differ if we are in the City instead of the County?
- Will fire protection services differ if we are in the City instead of the County?
- How do City and County procedures for building permits differ?
- Do County and City rules for swimming pool permits differ?
- Will my trash service change if my property is annexed?
- I currently pay for "streetscaping" through a County Service Area charge on my property tax bill. Will that change with annexation?
- Do I have to annex to the City to obtain street sweeping?
- Will business owners incur any costs as a result of annexation?
- What about operating a business at my residence?
- Will my cost change for sewer service?
- If I have a septic tank, can the City force me to pay to hook up to its sewer system?
- Do I have to annex to the City in order to receive sewer service?
- Will I have to pay for installation of curbs and gutters, sidewalks, or storm drains after annexation if my street doesn't already have them?
- Can the City annex an unincorporated neighborhood if the area's roads differ from City standards?
- How do the County and the City enforce land use, health, and fire codes to maintain the safety and value of property?
- Do the City and County have different rules for keeping pets or livestock on residential property?
- Do the City and County have different rules for fireworks booths?
- How about yard sales?
- If my property is annexed, is it more likely or less likely that low- and moderate-income housing will be built nearby?
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| Q: |
What is the County policy regarding annexations of unincorporated territory by cities? |
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In 1996, the County established a policy of neutrality toward city annexations, but we work to provide residents with information about the process and the fiscal and policy consequences to help people decide whether to support or reject the annexation of their neighborhood. Go to http://www.co.kern.ca.us/lafco/annexpolicy.asp to view the resolution establishing this policy. |
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| Q: |
What if I don't want to annex? |
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Property owners in an area have the right to protest a proposed annexation and, if the protest is sufficiently large, they may vote on whether to annex their area. You can find more information about annexation procedures at http://www.co.kern.ca.us/lafco/annexguide.asp or by contacting the County Administrative Office (868-3198) or the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors (868-3100) to obtain a copy of the information in booklet form. |
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| Q: |
If my neighborhood annexes, will my County Supervisor still represent me? |
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Kern County Supervisors represent all residents of Kern County and are always interested in hearing citizen's concerns and questions. Your Supervisor will continue to represent you after annexation. You can find who your County Supervisor is at http://www.co.kern.ca.us/bos/findsup/Address.asp.
The Bakersfield City Council member for your ward will represent you in City of Bakersfield matters such as land use, zoning, police, fire, trash collection, parks, streets, and City finances. You can find contact information for your City Council member at http://www.bakersfieldcity.us/administration/mayor_council/index.htm. |
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| Q: |
If my property is annexed to the City of Bakersfield, will my property taxes increase? |
| A: |
Under the California Constitution, your property cannot be assessed at more than 1% of its value. However, special property assessments may apply in both City and County territory. If you now have extra assessments for costs incurred by special districts such as North Bakersfield Parks and Recreation, school districts, the Kern County Water Agency, the Kern Community College District, mosquito abatement, and vector control, these charges will remain the same after annexation. Depending upon your property's location, special assessments for services such as street sweeping or street lighting will be removed from your property tax bill upon annexation because the City provides these services at no extra charge.
Upon annexation, you may incur additional fees or charges that may not appear on your property tax bill. Such fees may include a home alarm annual registration fee and annual permit cost, and penalty charges for false alarms, none of which apply in unincorporated areas. |
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| Q: |
How are my property taxes, sales taxes, gasoline taxes, and other fees split by the County and the City? |
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Here's how various local revenue sources are collected and distributed:
Property Taxes - - The County assesses, bills, collects, and distributes all property taxes according to State law. In Kern County, the total distribution of property taxes is:
| Schools |
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60% |
| County Government |
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20% |
| County Fire Fund |
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9% |
| City Government |
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6% |
| Special Districts |
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5% * |
* May include school, park/recreation, cemetery, fire, sanitary, hospitals, insect control, conservation, public utilities/transit, airport, separation of grade, flood control, community service, irrigation, and water districts.
By agreement, when an unincorporated area is annexed to the City, the County transfers 37.5% of its portion of the General Fund property tax from that area to help finance the cost of City government services. The County retains the rest of its share to help pay for County services that it continues to provide to City residents such as library, courts, health, and human services. Property taxes collected from the area for fire protection go to the entity that provides first-response fire protection under the City-County agreement
Sales Taxes - Regardless of where the purchaser resides, the State distributes a penny of the 7.25 cents-per-dollar State sales tax to the jurisdiction where the sale occurred.
State Gasoline Excise Taxes - - Counties and cities get ¼-cent per gallon of the gasoline excise taxes imposed by the State. The State distributes these revenues to the jurisdiction where the sale occurred, and they are designated by State law for building, maintaining, and improving local roads.
Benefit Assessments - Benefit assessments for such improvements as street landscaping, sidewalks, or a new neighborhood park are imposed on individual property owners within a "zone of benefit" whose voters have elected to incur the assessment. Assessments appear as part of your property tax bill. They may be spent only for the purposes designated in the enacting measure.
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| Q: |
Will law enforcement protection differ if we are in the City instead of the County? |
| A: |
If your area is annexed, the Bakersfield Police Department will provide law enforcement services. In 2002, the Bakersfield Police Department reported an average response time of 5½ minutes to priority 1 calls (criminal activity or other emergency). The Kern County Sheriff reported an average response time of 5 minutes and 44 seconds from deputies assigned to the metropolitan Bakersfield area. Law enforcement response times vary by neighborhood and the proximity of the responder. Crime rates constantly change, and they may bear little correlation to police force levels.
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| Q: |
Will fire protection services differ if we are in the City instead of the County? |
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Your fire protection will not change as a result of annexation. By agreement, the closest City or County fire station within the metropolitan Bakersfield area responds first to emergencies, whether they occur in City or County territory. Average fire response times in the metropolitan Bakersfield area range from 2½ to 3 minutes. |
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| Q: |
How do City and County procedures for building permits differ? |
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The County's building permit fee for a typical residence within the metropolitan Bakersfield area is about $300-$400 higher than the City's fee; however, the City charges $100 for a zoning check that is free of charge from the County. When mandatory impact fees for schools, transportation, and habitat conservation that apply to all new homes within the metropolitan Bakersfield area are added, the proportional difference between County and City permit costs is less. City fees for remodeling/renovation, additions, and separate residences are slightly lower than County fees. If you are in the middle of a building project when your property is annexed, the County will continue to inspect the work if the project is within a month or two of completion.
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| Q: |
Do County and City rules for swimming pool permits differ? |
| A: |
The City and County have conformed their standards for new swimming pools, which require a minimum 60-inch fence height as well as inspection of in-ground steel, gunite, and the completed pool. |
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| Q: |
Will my trash service change if my property is annexed? |
| A: |
Whether they are in the City or in the unincorporated areas, all property owners in the Greater Bakersfield area must pay a separate charge on their property tax bill for trash collection and a separate charge for the County-operated landfill, where solid waste from both incorporated and unincorporated areas is disposed. The solid waste disposal fee, known as a "land use fee", will remain after annexation. Your trash collection bill may increase by a few dollars per year to reflect differences between the amount charged by the franchise trash hauler for your area and the City-provided trash collection service, which will either be privately contracted or provided directly by the City's Solid Waste Services Department. The City offers a 50% rebate of trash collection fees to senior citizens. |
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| Q: |
I currently pay for "streetscaping" through a County Service Area charge on my property tax bill. Will that change with annexation? |
| A: |
The City will replace the County Service Area charge with a street landscape maintenance charge on your property tax bill to continue maintaining street landscaping upon annexation. Charges will vary depending upon your area. |
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| Q: |
Do I have to annex to the City to obtain street sweeping? |
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No. Many unincorporated areas have street sweeping service that is paid for through a benefit assessment that appears on property tax bills, while others do not. A majority of property owners in a County area may form a County Service Area to pay for street sweeping. The cost and frequency of service may vary between City and County service areas. The city does not charge separately for street sweeping. |
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| Q: |
Will business owners incur any costs as a result of annexation? |
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The City of Bakersfield charges retail business owners a business license fee of 30 cents per $1,000 of gross sales receipts. A business with gross sales of $500,000 per year would incur a $150 business license fee, for example. Annual license fees for other types of businesses, including professions, generally range from $25 to $100. Otherwise, annexation would not impose any new business costs.
With some exceptions, the County generally does not require a license or a fee to operate a business in unincorporated territory. Exceptions include dealers in loose vehicle parts, junk, and weapons; itinerant peddlers, locksmiths, security device sales, fortunetellers, circuses, carnivals, carnival games, swap meets, flea markets, street vendors, taxicab services, and commercial photographers. Licenses for these businesses range from $55 to $330. You will find the full text of County business licensing ordinances on the Internet by going to http://ordlink.com/codes/kerncoun/ and choosing Title 5. For City of Bakersfield requirements, go to http://www.qcode.us/codes/bakersfield/ and choose Title 5. You may also contact the Kern County Sheriff's Department or the Bakersfield City Manager's office. |
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| Q: |
What about operating a business at my residence? |
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The City and the County allow many types of home businesses. Both entities require you to obtain a home occupation permit that will allow you to operate a business, subject to certain restrictions. These limitations are aimed at ensuring that the business is compatible with other permitted businesses and with the residential character of the neighborhood. The City, for example, does not allow business-related signage, more than one client at a time, or any merchandise visible from street. The County prohibits a number of home occupations, including car and appliance repair, cabinet making, gift shops, restaurants and catering, for example. More information is available at the Web site pages and telephone numbers listed above. |
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| Q: |
Will my cost change for sewer service? |
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If your property is already connected to a sewer line, the County Service Area charges on your property tax bill will be replaced by City charges for this service, which may cost slightly more or less. North of River Sanitary District customers will continue to pay District charges following annexation to the City.
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| Q: |
If I have a septic tank, can the City force me to pay to hook up to its sewer system? |
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Neither the County or the City can require you to receive sewer service if you are using a properly operating septic tank. However, if your septic tank violates state or local health and building codes, you must connect to a sewer system if one is available. Moderate and low-income neighborhoods may be able to qualify for federal grants to install sewers. The County does not require sewers unless more than 50% of the owners in a neighborhood vote to incur capital and maintenance costs to install sewers. If sewers are installed, your share of the cost to build and maintain the system will then appear as a separate assessment on your property tax bill, although it is your option whether to incur costs to connect your property to the sewer. In addition, each property owner must pay the costs of abandoning a septic tank and installing a drain line from the property to City-owned or County Service Area sewer mains. Conversion can cost several thousand dollars per residence.
The City has different sewer installation requirements depending upon an area's location. Property owners should call the Wastewater Division of the Bakersfield Public Works Department at (661) 326-3249 to determine which sewer requirements and availability would apply to their neighborhood if the City annexed it.
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| Q: |
Do I have to annex to the City in order to receive sewer service? |
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In many cases, no. If you live outside City limits but within County Service Area 71 or North of River Sanitary District, you may connect your property to a nearby City or NOR District sewer line, provided that you pay mandatory initial fees to the City or District, abandon your septic tank, and install and connect a line from your property to the sewer line. These costs can run between $5,000 (NOR) and $7,000 (City).
If your street or neighborhood within CSA 71 does not have a City or NOR sewer line, property owners can jointly incur the cost of a new sewer line to connect to the nearest system. In such cases, the initial cost can exceed $15,000 per parcel. CSA or NOR District residents living outside the City may vote to form a new county service area to amortize sewer costs over five years. Roughly the same costs would apply to an annexed neighborhood that desires to install sewer service, so with or without annexation, property owners must pay to initiate sewer service. The Kern County Engineering and Survey Services Department (862-5100) can determine if your property is located in CSA 71 or in NOR Sanitary District.
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| Q: |
Will I have to pay for installation of curbs and gutters, sidewalks, or storm drains after annexation if my street doesn't already have them? |
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Neither the City nor the County require property owners to install these improvements. The City and the County use federal grant funds to install curbs, gutters, and storm drains in low and moderate-income neighborhoods that lack them. For property owners who want curbs, gutters, and/or sidewalks installed where their property fronts on City streets, the City will perform engineering, design, and grading, charging the property owner only the contractor's cost for concrete work. |
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Can the City annex an unincorporated neighborhood if the area's roads differ from City standards? |
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Yes, although there will be fewer of these neighborhoods as time passes. That is because County and City road engineers are working to conform road requirements so that new developments in either jurisdiction must meet roughly equal design and construction standards. |
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| Q: |
How do the County and the City enforce land use, health, and fire codes to maintain the safety and value of property? |
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Both the City and the County operate "code compliance" programs to help property owners comply with local ordinances dealing with such issues as dilapidated structures, weeds, animals, noise, home-operated businesses, and other inappropriate property use or neglect. The City and County code compliance programs are complaint-driven and staff-initiated. Their chief goal is compliance rather than punishment, although penalties may occasionally be imposed to gain compliance. |
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| Q: |
Do the City and County have different rules for keeping pets or livestock on residential property? |
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Primarily because of noise considerations, the City limits property owners to three dogs. A three-dog limit applies to lots of ¼ acre or less in County areas of metropolitan Bakersfield. Dogs licensed before July 1, 2003 are exempt from the County limit. Both jurisdictions also limit or prohibit certain animal husbandry activities, so you should contact the Kern County Planning Department at 862-8641 or the Permit Center for the City of Bakersfield Planning Department at 326-3733 for answers to specific questions about keeping animals in residential areas. |
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| Q: |
Do the City and County have different rules for fireworks booths? |
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The County issues fireworks sales permits only to non-profit organizations, which may operate booths only in highway commercial or neighborhood commercial areas, at schools, or at churches from July 1-5. Fireworks booths must be at least 400 feet apart and must meet a number of safety criteria.
City policies for issuing fireworks sales permits are similar, but the City awards a limited number of sales permits at an annual drawing. Organizations or businesses that have held a fireworks permit each year since 1994 may apply for and receive a permit without a drawing; all others must participate in the annual drawing. |
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| Q: |
How about yard sales? |
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The County and the City each allow two yard sales per household per year, each sale not to exceed three consecutive days in the County and two consecutive days in the City. |
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| Q: |
If my property is annexed, is it more likely or less likely that low- and moderate-income housing will be built nearby? |
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It won't make a difference, because the City and the County have an equal obligation to satisfy State requirements to approve the construction of a minimum number of low- and moderate-income housing units within their jurisdictions. |
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