A flood control district created more than four decades ago to address severe flooding in West Marin may soon be dissolved after years of dormancy and insufficient funds.
The Marin County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing May 5 to gather community input before making a final decision.
Flood Control Zone No. 10 in Inverness was formed in 1982 after a major flood caused heavy sediment buildup and creek bank erosion. At the time, residents raised about $200,000 to stabilize local creeks and remove sediment threatening roads and properties. Many of the projects envisioned following the flood were completed, but some could not be done because access to private properties was not secured.
The Board of Supervisors, which is the governing body for the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, is considering dissolving Zone 10 due to dormancy and lack of funds.
A flood control district is a specialized local government agency created to manage flood risks through the planning, construction and maintenance of channels, dams, pumps or levees. Funded through local property taxes or fees, they are preserving natural waterways and managing floodplains to control flooding.
Flood control budget slows to a trickle
Today, only about $37,000 remains in the district’s fund balance, an amount county officials say is insufficient to maintain preventative flood control projects such as sediment removal or creek stabilization.
Zone 10 does not receive property tax revenue because it was established after California voters passed Proposition 13 in 1978, which requires a local government to obtain two-thirds voter approval for special taxes. Attempts to establish a special tax to support ongoing work have failed, leaving the district reliant largely on interest from its remaining funds.
County officials propose transferring the remaining funds to the Marin Resource Conservation District to help stabilize upstream creek banks, which can reduce sediment buildup along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, a key roadway in West Marin that can be affected by flooding. The Marin Local Agency Formation Commission, which oversees the formation and dissolution of special districts, supported the proposal as well as the Zone 10 Advisory Board.
Property owners in the zone are encouraged to review the proposal, which will be posted a few days prior to the hearing, scheduled for 9 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors chambers at the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael. The meeting can also be attended remotely.
