Coachella Homeowners Face Paying Higher Fees
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Homeowners in Coachella are facing paying double for city maintenance. Video by kmir6.com
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COACHELLA - Homeowners in Coachella are facing paying double for city maintenance, if a new city initiative is passed.
The city wants to increase maintenance fees in four neighborhoods-- areas called Lighting and Landscaping Maintenance DistrictS. Out of 38 districts in Coachella-- city manager David Garcia says four of them aren't paying enough to cover costs. The neighborhood's developer sets the fees-- and the city takes over maintenance. But city officials say some of the newer districts have been subsidizing maintenance costs for the older district for years. Now the city is asking the residents to pass a ballot measure to increase fees-- in some areas to nearly double what they currently pay.
"If they chose not to increase it then. The only change will be that we will only spend the money that it takes to maintain it, which means probably the quality of the maintenance will go down," said David Garcia, Coachella City Manager.
Many city homeowners in the four districts tell KMIR6 that the price is just too much to cover maintenance fees, and this week those homeowners will vote yes or no on the proposed fee hike. If the majority vote no, city officials say they could change some of the grassy areas to desert landscaping, which would costs the city less. The city will count all the votes at the city council meeting next Wednesday.
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