HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 10c - Tax Levies on General Obligation BondsResolution No. 7520 Fiscal Year 23-24 Tax Levies
On General Obligation Bonds
August 15, 2023
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DATE: August 15, 2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Hue C. Quach, Administrative Services Director
Henry Chen, Financial Services Manager/City Treasurer
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION NO. 7520 DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE
TO BE RAISED FROM PROPERTY TAXES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023-24
TO PAY FOR THE DEBT SERVICE ON THE 2021 GENERAL
OBLIGATION REFUNDING BONDS (SERIES BOND MEASURE A AND
SERIES POLICE STATION PROJECT)
CEQA: Not a Project
Recommendation: Adopt
SUMMARY
The City has two General Obligation Bonds supported by voter approved levies. The
Series 2011 issuance was to fund the building of a grade separation at the intersection
of Santa Anita Avenue and the Gold Line right-of-way alignment; the General Obligation
Bonds Series 2012 are refunding bonds, replacing the Series 2001 General Obligation
Bonds, which were used to finance the construction of the City’s police station. In 2021,
these bonds were refinanced into the 2021 General Obligation Refunding Bonds (Series
Bond Measure A and Series Police Station Project). Annually, the City Council is
required to adopt a resolution to establish the supplemental taxes collected to make
debt service payments for the outstanding General Obligation Bonds. The rates
established for Fiscal Year 2023-24 are estimated to generate tax revenue of
$1,035,800 for the 2021 General Obligation Refunding Bonds ($618,100 for the Series
Bond Measure A and $417,700 for the Series Police Station Project) and will be paid
directly by property owners as part of their annual property tax bills.
It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 7520 determining the
amount of revenue to be raised from property taxes for Fiscal Year 2023-24 to pay for
the debt service on the 2021 General Obligation Refunding Bonds (Series Bond
Measure A and Series Police Station Project).
BACKGROUND
The issuance of Series 2001 General Obligation Bonds was approved in a Special
Election held on November 2, 1999, to fund the Arcadia Police Station. The Series 2011
Resolution No. 7520 Fiscal Year 23-24 Tax Levies
On General Obligation Bonds
August 15, 2023
Page 2 of 4
issuance was approved by voters during the election on April 11, 2006, to fund the
grade separation on Santa Anita Avenue for the Gold Line transit corridor; these are
also known as the Measure A bonds. More than two-thirds of the votes cast for each
measure were in favor of the agreed indebtedness with the principal and interest
payable from taxes levied upon taxable property within the City. Both the 2001 and
2011 Bonds are payable entirely by ad valorem property taxes levied by the City and
collected by Los Angeles County.
In 2012, the bond market provided an opportunity to refinance the Series 2001 General
Obligation Bonds. General Obligation Bonds Series 2012 were issued on November 6,
2012, solely for the refunding of the Series 2001, providing savings of approximately $1
million for taxpayers over the life of the bonds.
In 2021, with the interest rates near historical lows due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
conditions provided another opportunity to refinance both Series 2011 and 2012
General Obligation Bonds. A private placement with Sterling Bank (subsequently
acquired by Webster Financial) was done to refinance both the 2011 and 2012 Series
General Obligations Bonds. The transaction closed on November 23, 2021, and the
private placement will yield roughly $840,000 in additional savings to taxpayers over the
life of the bonds.
Each year, a resolution must be adopted by the City Council to determine the amount of
revenue required to be raised from property taxes to pay the debt service on the
General Obligation Bonds. This information is the basis for establishing tax rates, which
are forwarded to Los Angeles County and will be applied to properties within the City’s
boundaries.
DISCUSSION
A separate schedule (Attachment No. 2) illustrating the calculation of the tax rate is
attached to provide details of the debt service payments, the assessed valuations,
beginning balances, estimated expenditures, and the proposed tax rate for Fiscal Year
2023-24.
The levy rate for Series 2021 General Obligation Refunding Bonds are as follows:
Current Year's Rate Prior Year's Rate
Measure A 0.003018%0.002162%
Police Station 0.002040%0.002131%
Resolution No. 7520 Fiscal Year 23-24 Tax Levies
On General Obligation Bonds
August 15, 2023
Page 3 of 4
This year’s rate for the Measure A bonds increased to account for some costs from the
2021 refinancing that did not get factored into the prior year’s levy calculation. This is a
one-time adjustment and future years will see reductions of tax assessment rates. The
reduction in the tax rates for the Police Station Project is due to the 4.66% increase in
the City’s property assessed value for FY 2023-24. With these rates, a home valued at
$1,000,000 would pay $30.18 in taxes for the Series Bond Measure A and $20.40 for
the Series Police Station Project Bonds as part of their annual property tax payments.
The required FY 2023-24 debt service payments for the Series Bond Measure A total
$523,700, of which $473,000 represents Principal and $50,700 is Interest. For the
Series Police Station Project, the total amount due in FY 2023-24 is $411,000, including
$371,000 for Principal and $40,000 for Interest. The expected amounts to be collected
based on the proposed levy will be approximately $618,100 for the Series Measure A
and $417,700 for the Series Police Station Project. The difference between the required
payments and anticipated collections allows some cushion for property owner late
payments, missed payments, and re-assessments that may happen during the year.
Any funds that are not needed for this Fiscal Year will be applied to next year’s
associated calculations and payments.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental
Quality Act (“CEQA”), under Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, as it can be
seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment. Thus, this matter is
exempt under CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT
No General Fund costs are incurred through this action. The rates established for Fiscal
Year 2023-24 are estimated to generate tax revenue of $1,035,800 for the 2021
General Obligation Refunding Bonds ($618,100 for the Series Bond Measure A and
$417,700 for the Series Police Station Project Bonds) and will be paid directly by
property owners as part of their annual property tax bills. These tax revenues will be
added to the balance of each bond’s fund, to make debt service payments occurring in
Fiscal Year 2023-24.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council determine this action does not constitute a
project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and adopt Resolution
No. 7520 determining the amount of revenue to be raised from property taxes for Fiscal
Year 2023-24 to pay for the debt service on the 2021 General Obligation Refunding
Bonds (Series Bond Measure A and Series Police Station Project).
Resolution No. 7520 Fiscal Year 23-24 Tax Levies
On General Obligation Bonds
August 15, 2023
Page 4 of 4
Attachment No. 1: Resolution No. 7520
Attachment No. 2: Exhibit “A” – Calculation of Tax Rate
Attachment No. 1
Exhibit “A”
Calculation of Tax Rate
General
Obligation
Bonds
Balance
Available
(1)
7-01-23
2023-24
Assessed
Valuations
Estimated
Tax
Revenue
Debt
Service
(2)
% Tax Rates
2022-23 (3)
2021 Series
Measure A $409,100 $20,477,124,306 $618,100 $523,700 0.003018%
2021 Series
Police Station $386,700 $20,477,124,306 $417,700 $411,000 0.002040%
(1)Excess fund balance is included to ensure that positive cash balance is available
for the debt service payments on August 1, 2023.
(2)Per debt service schedule below.
(3)For comparison, the levy rate from last year was 0.002162% and 0.002131% for
Series 2021 General Obligation Refunding Bonds (Series Bond Measure A and
Series Police Station Project), and their first-year levy rates were 0.006621% and
0.009657% in 2011 and 2001, respectively.
DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
2021 G.O. Bond
Series Measure A
2021 G.O. Bond
Series Police
Station
Principal $473,000 $371,000
Interest $50,700 $40,000
Total $523,700 $411,000
Attachment No. 2