History of the RCSD

HISTORY: In the early 1980s the County was faced with a sizeable deficit in County Service Area 21. Rossmoor had three choices: Cut services, consolidate CSA 21 with other CSAs in the county, or form an independent CSD for Rossmoor. After considerable study by a citizens group, it was recommended that Rossmoor voters approve the formation of a Community Services District, which would be the most advantageous choice financially for Rossmoor. A special district has many of the powers of a city with the notable exception of land-use planning.

The RCSD was formed in November 1986 as a result of a general election of Rossmoor voters to replace the Rossmoor County Service Area No. 21 (CSA 21). At that election, a majority of Rossmoor voters approved an order adopted on June 25, 1986 by the Board of Supervisors of Orange County to form the RCSD and concurrently dissolve the Rossmoor CSA 21, to establish that the boundaries of RCSD would be the entire territory of the unincorporated Rossmoor Community, that the RCSD would be the successor agency to the Rossmoor CSA 21 and take over the assets and assume all liabilities and obligations of the Rossmoor CSA 21, and to elect a five member Board of Directors for RCSD.

POWERS GRANTED IN 1986: The Powers granted to the RCSD were: public recreation facilities and services, street lighting, road rights-of-way services, sewer services and, subject to the consent of the County of Orange, the collection and disposal of garbage or refuse matter. They included the specific services previously provided by Rossmoor CSA 21 which were: local park development and maintenance, road related landscape maintenance, street sweeping and community center/recreation programs. At that time, this included Rossmoor Park, the mini-parks and Montecito Center. In November 1990, the Rossmoor voters approved a ballot measure to acquire Rush School and surrounding grounds and to tax themselves to pay for one or more bonds to acquire the property.