Street lights in Keyes may be turned off if a proposed increase in the assessment is not approved by voters in June.
The Keyes Community Services District is charging $10 per year on the approximately 1,200 parcels in the area for electricity and maintenance of lighting services. It needs to be increased to resolve a deficit of $5,000 per year, said Rosemary Winter, an official with the KCSD.
"Each year it has been going higher and higher," said Winter of the deficit.
The June ballot measure calls for an increase in the assessment to $20 per year on all Keyes parcels for the first three years, increasing to $25 for the fourth year and $30 for the fifth and subsequent years.
Affected would be the older sections of Keyes as well as the more recent subdivisions of Starlite, Bonita Ranch, and Victoria Park.
Winter said she is alarmed in the lack of inquiries about the election, saying that nobody has been attending a series of public workshops and information sessions on the ballot measure. Flyers went home in English and Spanish to Keyes households through the schools. Winter said only about 10 persons showed up at four meetings, six of which are elected officials in Keyes.
"There is the belief out there that we can't turn off the street lights and they're wrong. We can."
Winter said a common complaint is that not all of Keyes is lit at night but noted every street in town has at least one light.
"I don't think they would realize how dark it would be if they didn't have street lights," said Winter.
"You would think people woud be ganging in here wanting to know."
The ballot measure must obtain a two-thirds majority for passage, said Winter.
The Keyes Community Services District is charging $10 per year on the approximately 1,200 parcels in the area for electricity and maintenance of lighting services. It needs to be increased to resolve a deficit of $5,000 per year, said Rosemary Winter, an official with the KCSD.
"Each year it has been going higher and higher," said Winter of the deficit.
The June ballot measure calls for an increase in the assessment to $20 per year on all Keyes parcels for the first three years, increasing to $25 for the fourth year and $30 for the fifth and subsequent years.
Affected would be the older sections of Keyes as well as the more recent subdivisions of Starlite, Bonita Ranch, and Victoria Park.
Winter said she is alarmed in the lack of inquiries about the election, saying that nobody has been attending a series of public workshops and information sessions on the ballot measure. Flyers went home in English and Spanish to Keyes households through the schools. Winter said only about 10 persons showed up at four meetings, six of which are elected officials in Keyes.
"There is the belief out there that we can't turn off the street lights and they're wrong. We can."
Winter said a common complaint is that not all of Keyes is lit at night but noted every street in town has at least one light.
"I don't think they would realize how dark it would be if they didn't have street lights," said Winter.
"You would think people woud be ganging in here wanting to know."
The ballot measure must obtain a two-thirds majority for passage, said Winter.
