200-Year Flood Protection for Mossdale Tract

In June 2020, an assessment to provide a portion of the local cost share for levee improvements (200-year flood protection) was approved by property owners with 75% of the weighted vote. The SJAFCA Board offically adopted the assessment in July 2024, and assessments will be included on property tax bills starting in fall 2024.

In response to property inquiries throughout the balloting period, the Assessment Engineer, Willdan Financial Services, updated the calculation of individual assessments as appropriate based upon new information or identified calculation errors. This includes a calculation error that, once corrected, resulted in a somewhat lower assessment for all Single-Family Residential properties.

All Single-Family Residential ballots that were returned were counted at their corrected, lowered assessment amounts. Further, the assessment for Fiscal Year 2024/25 and thereafter for these parcels will be levied based upon the corrected, lowered assessments. Fiscal Year 2024/25 assessments can be reviewed by reviewing the District Roll or using the Assessment Calculator (links below).  You will need your assessor’s parcel number (APN) which can be found on your property tax bill or by using the Parcel Number Lookup link on the Assessment Calculator. 

Mossdale Tract Assessment District Roll - Fiscal Year 2024-25

Assessment Calculator

 Questions?

 Public Information Materials

KCRA Channel 3 Story on Proposed Assessment (YouTube) - April 24, 2024

Ballot Information Guide - English
Ballot Information Guide - Espanol
Ballot Information Guide - Punjabi
Ballot Information Guide - Hindi

 Assessment District Detailed Boundary Maps

Flood Depth Map
Frequently Asked Questions - English
Newsletter - English
Why Assessments Differ for Each Property

Preguntas Frecuentes
Boletin Informativo - Espanol

Preliminary Engineer's Report
Preliminary Assessment Roll

 Problem - Mossdale Tract Area Faces Flood & Economic Risk

Mossdale Tract Area properties are at risk of flooding from the San Joaquin River and its tributaries (e.g. French Camp Slough). The levees that protect these areas do not meet state requirements for 200-year flood protection. As a result, these properties face two types of risk: physical and financial damages from flooding; and, economic impacts from not meeting state (and likely future federal) flood protection regulations.

Failure to meet these regulations results in significant costs to both property owners and their communities:

• If the levees do not meet federal regulations in the future, properties could be mapped into a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area.This would trigger mandatory flood insurance requirements and restrictions on property improvements. Flood insurance premiums cost as much as $3,300 per year in Special Flood Hazard Areas.
  
  
• If the levees do not meet state regulations, the community will not be allowed to adapt to changing economic conditions. There will be no development, including commerical and retail amentities (like grocery stores and restaurants), and no redevelopment of existing properties. The community will not be allowed to repurpose existing development, regardless of changing community needs and economic conditions.

SJAFCA is planning to partner with state and federal agencies on a $473 million levee improvement project to protect lives, property, and the local economy, and meet state requirements for 200-year flood protection. The project will also meet anticipated changes to federal flood protection regulations. The majority (77%) of all project costs are expected to be paid by state and federal agencies, but SJAFCA must pay for the remaining 23% (local cost share).

Seventy percent (70%) of the local cost share will be paid by development and growth. SJAFCA proposed, and property owners approved, an annual assessment for benefitting properties to provide the remaining 30% of the local cost share. 

Under state law, properties can only be assessed for the benefit they receive. The benefit is the avoidance of flood damage to land, structures, and their contents. Factors used to calculate individual assessments include land use classification, parcel size, structure type and square footage, location of the property, and depth of flooding. Zone 1 properties receive benefit from the avoidance of flood damages to land, structures, and their contents. Zone 2 properties only receive benefit for land.

SJAFCA uses San Joaquin County Assessor’s data for land use classification, parcel size, structure square footage, and property location. Flood depth is calculated based upon on a levee failure occurring during a 200-year flood event. Use our Assessment Calculator to view the assessment factors for your property (parcel number required).