Funding our Parks

List of properties in the current PLLAD

Benicia's Current Parks, Landscape and Lighting Assessment District (PLLAD) is a source of funding for irrigation, playground maintenance, recreational fields and more.

Benicia is home to 28 developed parks, including Lake Herman Regional Park and Benicia Community Park, along with over 68 open space access areas and landscaped corridors along city streets. These green spaces offer recreational opportunities, scenic beauty, and environmental benefits for all residents.

Since 1989 a lot has changed. But Benicia's Park funding hasn't.

Established in the late 1980s, the PLLAD serves as a dedicated funding mechanism for the maintenance of landscaping and lighting within specific zones of Benicia. The district comprises five distinct zones, each receiving help from assessments levied on properties within its boundaries. These assessments finance the upkeep of street rights-of-way landscaping, open space areas, and the maintenance and energy costs associated with streetlights. Despite the PLLAD's critical role in sustaining some of Benicia's parks and green spaces, the assessment rates have not increased since 1989. This stagnation has led to funding challenges, particularly as maintenance costs have escalated over the decades. The district also only funds five out of the 28 parks (Skillman, Park Solano, Jack London, Gateway, and Waters End).

How Will We Address This?

To ensure consistent, reliable funding, the City is considering a new citywide benefit assessment to replace the current system, ensuring all property owners contribute. This would create a more equitable funding approach, where everyone benefiting from Benicia’s parks and landscaping contributes to support all City parks.

Proposition 218 mandates that any new or increased assessments be subject to a vote by the affected property owners, ensuring transparency and public participation in the decision-making process. By pursuing this avenue, Benicia aims to align its funding mechanisms with the current and future needs of its parks and playgrounds.

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Informational Resources