Frequently Asked Questions
What is LAFCO?
Is LAFCo a County Department?
What does LAFCO do?
How do I apply to LAFCO?
Who are the members of LAFCO?
When and where does the Commission meet?
How long will it take to process my
proposal?
Is the public notified about LAFCO
actions?
What if I don't want to annex?
Does LAFCO charge a fee to process
jurisdictional boundary change proposals?
What is a Sphere of
Influence?
Can a Sphere of
Influence be changed?
What are special districts, and why are they so "special"?
What is a
Municipal Service Review?
Is LAFCO subject to the Brown Act and the Political Reform
Act?
Is LAFCO required to comply with the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)?
What is LAFCO?
LAFCO is an acronym for Local Agency Formation Commission.
It is a regulatory agency with county-wide jurisdiction,
established by state law to discourage urban sprawl and to
encourage orderly and efficient provision of services, such
as water, sewer, fire protection, etc. LAFCO
operations are governed by the
Cortese-Knox - Hertzberg
Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000.
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Is LAFCo a County Department?
No. Fresno LAFCO is a state-mandated "independent" agency and is not
a County agency, a City department or a special district.
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What does LAFCO do?
LAFCO is responsible for reviewing and approving proposed
jurisdictional boundary changes, including annexations and
detachments of territory to and/or from cities and special
districts, incorporations of new cities, formations of new
special districts, and consolidations, mergers, and
dissolutions of existing districts. In addition, LAFCO must
review and approve contractual service agreements, determine
Spheres of Influence for each city and district, and may
initiate proposals involving district consolidation,
dissolution, establishment of subsidiary districts, mergers,
and reorganizations (combinations of these jurisdictional
changes).
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How do
I apply to LAFCO?
While certain types of applications can be filed directly
with LAFCO by a petition of property owners, the typical
applicant to LAFCO is a city and/or a special district that
proposes a change in boundaries. A property owner who wants
to annex to a city and/or district should first contact the
respective city and/or district. The city and/or district
may have separate application forms and can charge separate
fees for boundary changes. Once a city and/or district
accepts an application from a property owner for a boundary
change, the city and/or district becomes the lead agency for
compliance with CEQA and determines whether or not to
initiate the annexation and make application to LAFCO.
For annexation to a city, the law requires that the city
first pre-zone the property involved. This is typically done
concurrently with city processes to initiate the annexation.
Once a property is annexed to a city, the city cannot change
the zoning for at least two years after the annexation is
completed.
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Who are the members of LAFCO?
Fresno
LAFCo is composed of five regular Commissioners: two members
from the Board of Supervisors; two members who represent the
cities in Fresno County; and one public member. There
are three alternate Commission seats; one from each of the
above-membership categories. State law does also
provide for representation by special districts.
However, special districts in Fresno County have elected not
to participate at this time.
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When and where does the Commission meet?
Regular LAFCO meetings are scheduled for 1:30 p.m., one
Wednesday a month (see the LAFCo
Calendar) and held in the Board of Supervisors Chambers
in the Hall of Records, 3rd Floor,
2281 Tulare St,
Fresno, CA 93721.
Click here for map (Provided by Google Maps)
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How long will it take to process my
proposal?
If your proposal is considered routine and is
non-controversial, processing time is approximately 2 to 3
months after a complete set of application materials have
been submitted to the LAFCO office. More complex proposals
may take additional time to process.
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Is the public notified about LAFCO
actions?
State law requires that LAFCO notify affected agencies and
the public regarding most jurisdictional boundary change
proposals. Notification of a pending proposal is made to
County departments, interested individuals, and local
governmental agencies. In addition, comments are solicited
from community groups as well as agencies that may
potentially be affected by a LAFCO project. LAFCO must also
wait until information is returned from the County Assessor,
Auditor, and various state agencies before a proposal may be
scheduled for a public hearing.
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What if I
don't want to annex?
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. (See
Uninhabited Protest Proceedings or
Inhabited Protest Proceedings)
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Does LAFCO charge a fee to process
jurisdictional boundary change proposals?
State law authorizes LAFCO to charge the estimated
reasonable cost to process jurisdictional boundary change
proposals. Processing fees vary depending on the type of
proposal (i.e., district formation, merger, reorganization,
etc.). Please refer to LAFCO's
fee schedule
or contact the LAFCO office for fee
information.
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What is a
Sphere of Influence?
A Sphere of Influence is an established boundary line adopted
by LAFCO to designate the future boundary and service area
for a city or special district. It usually reflects a
future growth area for a 20 to 25 year period.
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Can a Sphere of
Influence be changed?
Yes. LAFCO may amend and update Spheres of Influence.
State law requires that the Commission review and update the
Sphere of Influence every five years.
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What are special districts, and why are they so "special"?
Special districts provide important services throughout the
County, even if you live in a city. If you live in the
unincorporated area, you probably receive a number of vital
services such as fire protection, water service, park and
recreation, and other services from districts established to
provide those services. Districts are either dependent
(governed by the County Board of Supervisors) or independent
(governed by a locally elected board of directors). They're
"special" because they provide services to areas that
require special services above and beyond the regional
services provided by the County.
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What is a
Municipal Service Review?
A Municipal Service Review is a comprehensive study designed
to better inform LAFCO, local agencies, and the community
about the provision of municipal services. State law
requires that Municipal Service Reviews be prepared and
adopted prior to considering any changes to the Sphere of
Influence.
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Is LAFCO subject to the Brown Act and the Political Reform
Act?
Although state legislators are exempt from the Brown Act,
the members of quasi-legislative bodies are not.
Commissioners are subject to the same laws and restrictions
that apply to all locally elected officials, including the
filing of Statements of Economic Interest under the
Political Reform Act.
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Is LAFCO required to comply with the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)?
Yes. LAFCO must comply with CEQA. LAFCo normally
serves as a "responsible agency" in reviewing the
environmental work performed for a project by cities and
special districts.
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If you have additional questions, please
contact the LAFCo office at (559) 600-0604 or by
e-mail. Thank you for your
interest in Fresno LAFCo.
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