The Landscape Maintenance District map designates which Landscape Maintenance District Zone your property is in. The Landscape Maintenance District (LMD) was created to pay for the costs of ongoing maintenance and improvement of public landscaping that provides special benefits to properties in given areas of the City. Special benefits are defined as improvements that increase the desirability or value of property directly associated with the enhanced improvements. Examples of these enhancements include higher property values, more aesthetic and pleasurable surroundings, less dust and erosion control, and pride in ownership.

Within the City of Tracy's LMD, there are 37 special benefit zones, each being assessed according to the specific costs associated with the landscaping requirements of that zone. Property owners in the LMD pay an annual assessment for this maintenance. The assessments are established on a “zone-by-zone“ basis and are paid by the property owner through the County's property tax bill. Assessments can only be used for costs and expenses incurred within the zone in which they are collected.

Each year the City evaluates the anticipated costs for maintenance for the upcoming year. This evaluation takes into consideration any increases in costs as well as cost savings realized. Some of the costs that are evaluated include: routine maintenance and mowing contracts; equipment repair; weed abatement; shrub and tree pruning; irrigation parts and controllers; vandalism; water; electricity; fertilizer and other chemicals; vehicles and vehicle maintenance; radios and computers; and other administrative costs to operate the LMD.

Realizing a shortfall in LMD revenues, in 2003, property owners in certain zones were mailed ballots and asked to weigh in on increases in their assessments to fund, at a minimum, basic maintenance costs in their areas. While some of these zones were in favor of an increase in their assessments, some other zones did not approve an increase. Therefore, in order to keep the LMD budget balanced, cuts and reductions have been made in the frequency and type of maintenance performed in those areas that did not approve the increase.

While the city has tried to maintain a uniform level of maintenance throughout the landscaped areas and parks, under Assessment District Law, the City can only use funds collected from property owners within a zone for costs associated directly and specifically within that zone. Undesired results from reduced maintenance are evident.

In zones that did not support the increase, the assessments allowed by law have not been sufficient to pay for basic maintenance costs, so essentially, some zones have been “under funded.“ This is especially true when considering the costs necessary to replace dying plants and trees, replace or repair vandalized equipment, or renovate older parks and irrigation systems. In these zones, where funding is not sufficient to pay for all of the maintenance required, the LMD has set the following maintenance priorities:

1. Safety items considered first and primary.
2. Keeping parks safe, open and available to the public.
3. Responding to vandalism.
4. Keeping turf and plant materials in healthy condition.
5. Removing, but not replacing, dead and dying plant materials.
6. Thinning and scaling back landscaping to lower maintenance requirements.
7. Providing staff support for community and neighborhood participating in maintenance and clean up efforts.