Background

The De Luz Community Services District is comprised of 33  square miles on the Santa Rosa plateau, a mountainous area situated due west of Temecula, California. The area is primarily agricultural in nature, with a majority of acres planted in avocados, citrus, and wine grapes.

The area was originally developed by Kaiser-Aetna Corporation. The group subdivided the property  lots and built 85 miles of roads within the District territory.  These privately-maintained public roads were originally provided maintenance by either the adjoining property owners, or by one of five homeowner associations created coincidentally with the initial sale of lots by Kaiser-Aetna. Following the storms of Winter 1977-1978, area property owners determined that some public agency should have the responsibility for road maintenance, as well as other needed public services, and petitioned Riverside County LAFCO to create a Community Services District.

The De Luz Community Services District (formerly known as the Santa Rosa Community Services District) was established in November 1978 by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. It began operations in March 1979 under the provisions of the Community Services District Act (Section 61000 et. seq. of the California Government Code). Upon establishment, it was granted the power to perform three functions: road construction and maintenance, refuse collection, and extended police protection. The District's name was changed in 2007 to better identify with the surrounding area.

The District is divided into five geographical zones. To achieve equity in maintenance costs, the maintenance of the primary roads, and the general and administrative costs are shared equally on a 'per acre' basis by all property owners within the District. The cost of maintaining the secondary roads is shared equally on a 'per acre' basis by the property owners of the zone in which those roads are located.