ReNew Oxnard Program Objectives and Helpful Information

To keep Oxnard’s residents informed about the ReNew Oxnard program objectives through the different stages of implementation and collaboration, in this post, CivicMic provides further clarification about the program’s purpose and the role of CivicMic in the process.

What is the purpose of the ReNew Oxnard program?

In an initial survey sent out by CivicMic to Oxnard residents, it was determined that 96% of the participants felt dissatisfied with the level of landscaping maintenance being provided to neighborhoods by the City. Oxnard’s current Landscaping Maintenance Districts (“LMDs”) are limited in the scope of what they cover and are not adequately funded to support the needs of Oxnard residents. ReNew Oxnard was created in response to the community residents’ desire to improve their neighborhoods and fix the functional deficiencies within the currently established LMDs.

The role of CivicMic in the ReNew Oxnard program is to engage Oxnard residents in working collaboratively with the City to revitalize their neighborhoods through mutually agreed upon and modern solutions in regard to the scopes of services that may be required for each neighborhood and the financing options that may best support those objectives.

What services are offered by CivicMic?

CivicMic is a community outreach and engagement service used to determine interest in community improvements and engage interested community members in the collaborative governance effort. We do not campaign on behalf of any agency or have a desired outcome in mind prior to speaking to the City, a district, or its residents. Our role is to assist in the bilateral effort to understand and achieve each community’s specific objectives.

Who is paying for the ReNew Oxnard program?

The Renew Oxnard program is funded using the assessment collected from the current LMD. These are incidental expenses to ongoing determinations that need to be made under the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972 regarding the Districts. We cannot prepare annual reports or conduct any needed assessment-related elections unless we know what it is the property owners want, and we are engaging them through the ReNew Oxnard program to determine what they want -- whether that means staying with the status quo, increasing their assessments, or a change of organization to annex, detach, combine with another District or dissolve. In order for the property owners to make informed decisions, they need to understand those options, as well as alternative district structures that might meet their needs.

Is the City of Oxnard attempting to replace LMDs with CFDs?

The City cannot replace an LMD with a CFD without the support of 2/3 of registered voters. Community Facilities Districts (“CFDs”) are, however, a financing option that may be suitable for certain communities in Oxnard depending on their specific needs and objectives. CFDs (also called Mello-Roos) are very flexible financing structures that can cover most infrastructural, maintenance, and service needs.

Will the ReNew Oxnard program raise taxes?

The intended purpose of this program is not to unnecessarily raise taxes. It is about supporting the service needs and addressing the concerns of Oxnard’s residents, which in many cases may require funding solutions. However, nothing can or will be done without community support. Taxes or assessments can only be raised if community members agree to the terms of whatever financing structure is chosen. The collaborative governance process is meant to be a transparent and cooperative effort. Community members will have access to all the data regarding potential budgets and implementation costs and will have ongoing access to the most current project-related information on the CivicMic website to assist them in their decision-making process.

Are all communities in Oxnard a part of the ReNew Oxnard program?

Since the ReNew Oxnard program is part of a collaborative governance effort, we only work with communities that have high levels of participation. In some communities, there was not enough participation and engagement to move forward with the ReNew Oxnard program. Additionally, there are multiple phases of this process, and some Oxnard communities will not be engaged until the next phase of the program.