Los Angeles County Flood Control District: fees and charges.

Existing law, the Los Angeles County Flood Control Act, establishes the Los Angeles County Flood Control District and authorizes the district to control and conserve the flood, storm, and other wastewater of the district. The act declares the district to be a body corporate and politic, and to have various powers, including the power to cause taxes to be levied and collected for the purpose of paying any obligation of the district. This bill would authorize the district to impose a fee or charge, in compliance with Article XIIID of the California Constitution, to pay the costs and expenses of carrying out projects and providing services to improve water quality and reduce stormwater and urban runoff pollution in the district in accordance with specified criteria. The bill would require that any fees imposed be levied and collected together with taxes for county purposes, and the revenues paid into the county treasury to the credit of the district. The bill would require the county board of supervisors to expend the funds to pay for those costs and expenses, to be allocated as prescribed. The act authorizes the board of the district, subject to certain limitations, to do all acts or things necessary or useful for the promotion of the work or the control of the floodwater and stormwater of the district, to conserve those waters for beneficial and useful purposes, and to protect from damage from floodwater and stormwater, the harbors, waterways, public highways, and property of the district. One limitation upon the authority of the board of the district is that it is not authorized to raise money for the district by any method or system other than by issuing bonds, or the levying of a tax upon the assessed value of all the real property of the district, except from the sale and lease of its property. This bill would instead provide that the board of the district is not authorized to raise money for the district by any method or system other than by issuing bonds, the levying of a tax, or the imposition of a fee or charge in compliance with Article XIIID of the California Constitution.