Cal. Government Code - GOV § 61000. Section 61000.
This division shall be known and may be cited as the Community Services District Law.
CHAPTER 1. Introductory Provisions [61000. - 61009.]
Cal. Government Code - GOV 1.
in effectCal. Government Code - GOV § 61001. Section 61001.
(a)
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1)
The differences among California’s communities reflect the broad diversity of the state’s population, geography, natural resources, history, and economy.
(2)
The residents and property owners in California’s diverse communities desire public facilities and services that promote the public peace, health, safety, and welfare.
(3)
Responding to these communities’ desires, the Legislature enacted the Community Services District Law in 1951, and reenacted the Community Services District Law in 1955.
(4)
Between 1955 and 2005, the voters in more than 300 communities have formed community services districts to achieve local governance, provide needed public facilities, and supply public services.
(5)
Since then, the Legislature has amended the Community Services District Law in many ways, resulting in a statute that can be difficult for residents, property owners, and public officials to understand and administer.
(6)
There is a need to revise the Community Services District Law to achieve statutory clarity and provide a framework for local governance that California’s diverse communities can adapt to their local conditions, circumstances, and resources.
(7)
The enactment of this division is necessary for the public peace, health, safety, and welfare.
(b)
The Legislature finds and declares that for many communities, community services districts may be any of the following:
(1)
A permanent form of governance that can provide locally adequate levels of public facilities and services.
(2)
An effective form of governance for combining two or more special districts that serve overlapping or adjacent territory into a multifunction special district.
(3)
A form of governance that can serve as an alternative to the incorporation of a new city.
(4)
A transitional form of governance as the community approaches cityhood.
(c)
In enacting this division, it is the intent of the Legislature:
(1)
To continue a broad statutory authority for a class of limited-purpose special districts to provide a wide variety of public facilities and services.
(2)
To encourage local agency formation commissions to use their municipal service reviews, spheres of influence, and boundary powers, where feasible and appropriate, to combine special districts that serve overlapping or adjacent territory into multifunction community services districts.
(3)
That residents, property owners, and public officials use the powers and procedures provided by the Community Services District Law to meet the diversity of the local conditions, circumstances, and resources.
Cal. Government Code - GOV § 61002. Section 61002.
Unless the context requires otherwise, as used in this division, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a)
“At large” means the election of members of the board of directors all of whom are elected by the voters of the entire district.
(b)
“Board of directors” means the board of directors of a district that establishes policies for the operation of the district.
(c)
“By divisions” means the election of members of the board of directors who are residents of the division from which they are elected only by voters of the division.
(d)
“District” means a community services district created pursuant to this division or any of its statutory predecessors.
(e)
“From divisions” means the election of members of the board of directors who are residents of the division from which they are elected by the voters of the entire district.
(f)
“General manager” means the highest level management appointee who is directly responsible to the board of directors for the implementation of the policies established by the board of directors.
(g)
“Graffiti abatement” means the power to prevent graffiti on public or private property, receive reports of graffiti on public or private property, provide rewards not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons who apply graffiti on public or private
property, abate graffiti as a public nuisance pursuant to Section 731 of the Code of Civil Procedure, remove graffiti from public or private property, and use the services of persons ordered by a court to remove graffiti.
(h)
“Latent power” means those services and facilities authorized by Part 3 (commencing with Section 61100) that the local agency formation commission has determined, pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 56425, that a district did not provide prior to January 1, 2006.
(i)
“President” or “chair” means the presiding officer of the board of directors.
(j)
“Principal county” means the county having all or the greatest portion of the entire assessed valuation, as shown on the last equalized assessment roll of the county or counties, of all taxable property in the district.
(k)
“Secretary” means the secretary of the board of directors.
(l)
“Voter” means a voter as defined by Section 359 of the Elections Code.
(m)
“Zone” means a zone formed pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 61140) of Part 3.
Cal. Government Code - GOV § 61003. Section 61003.
(a)
This division provides the authority for the organization and powers of community services districts. This division succeeds the former Division 3 (commencing with Section 61000) as added by Chapter 1746 of the Statutes of 1955, as subsequently amended, and any of its statutory predecessors.
(b)
Any community services district organized or reorganized pursuant to the former Division 3 or any of its statutory predecessors which was in existence on January 1, 2006, shall remain in existence as if it had been organized pursuant to this division.
(c)
Any improvement district of a community services district formed pursuant to the former Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 61710) of the former Part 5 or any of its statutory predecessors which was in existence on January 1, 2006, shall be deemed to be a zone as if it had been formed pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 61140) of Part 3.
(d)
Any zone of a community services district formed pursuant to the former Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 61770) of the former Part 6 or any of its statutory predecessors which was in existence on January 1, 2006, shall remain in existence as if it had been organized pursuant to this division.
(e)
Any indebtedness, bond, note, certificate of participation, contract, special tax, benefit assessment, fee, election, ordinance, resolution, regulation, rule, or any other action of a district taken pursuant to the former Division 3 or any of its statutory predecessors which was taken before January 1, 2006, shall not be voided solely because of any error, omission, informality, misnomer, or failure to comply strictly with this division.
(f)
Any approval or determination, including, but not limited to, terms and conditions made with respect to a district by a local agency formation commission prior to January 1, 2006, shall remain in existence.
Cal. Government Code - GOV § 61004. Section 61004.
This division shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes.
Cal. Government Code - GOV § 61005. Section 61005.
If any provision of this division or the application of any provision of this division in any circumstance or to any person, county, city, special district, school district, the state, or any agency or subdivision of the state is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this division that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application of the invalid provision, and to this end the provisions of this division are severable.
Cal. Government Code - GOV § 61006. Section 61006.
(a)
Any action to determine the validity of the organization of a district shall be brought pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 860) of Title 10 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(b)
Any action to determine the validity of any bonds, warrants, contracts, obligations, or evidences of indebtedness of a district shall be brought pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 860) of Title 10 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(c)
Any judicial action to compel performance of an action by a district, its officers, or its directors shall be brought pursuant to Section 1084 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(d)
Any judicial review of any administrative act taken after a hearing by a district shall be brought pursuant to Section 1094.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Cal. Government Code - GOV § 61007. Section 61007.
(a)
Territory, whether incorporated or unincorporated, whether contiguous or noncontiguous, whether in one or more counties, may be included in a district.
(b)
Except as provided in this part, the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000, Division 3 (commencing with Section 56000) of Title 5, shall govern any change of organization or reorganization of a district. In the case of any conflict between that division and this division, the provisions of this division shall prevail.
(c)
A district shall be deemed an “independent special district,” as defined by Section 56044, except when a county board of supervisors or a city council is the board of directors.
Cal. Government Code - GOV § 61008. Section 61008.
(a)
Except as otherwise provided in this division, districts are subject to the Uniform District Election Law, Part 4 (commencing with Section 10500) of Division 10 of the Elections Code.
(b)
A board of directors may require that the election of members to the board of directors shall be held on the same day as the statewide general election pursuant to Section 10404 of the Elections Code.
(c)
A district may conduct any election by all-mailed ballots pursuant to Division 4 (commencing with Section 4000) of the Elections Code.
(d)
A district may hold advisory elections pursuant to Section 9603 of the Elections Code.
Cal. Government Code - GOV § 61009. Section 61009.
Whenever the boundaries of a district or a zone change, the district shall comply with Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 54900) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026