Property and business improvement districts.

Existing law, the Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994, authorizes local governmental entities to levy assessments on properties and businesses within a property and business improvement district for the purpose of financing certain improvements and promoting activities that benefit property in the district. Existing law requires the management district plan for a property-based district to include, among other things, the total amount of all special benefits to be conferred upon the properties located within the property-based district and the total amount of general benefits, if any. This bill would delete those requirements. The Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994 defines "special benefit" to mean, for purposes of a property-based district, a particular and distinct benefit over and above general benefits conferred on real property located in a district or to the public at large. This bill would specify that "special benefit" includes, for purposes of a property-based district, a particular and distinct benefit provided directly to each assessed parcel within the district. The bill would authorize a city to impose assessments that are less than the proportional special benefit conferred, but would prohibit a city from imposing assessments that exceed the reasonable costs of the proportional special benefit conferred, as provided.