State of California Law

The Landscape and Lighting Act of 1972 (Streets & Highways Code Section 22500 et seq.) permits the City to establish assessment districts that fund the installation and maintenance of street lighting.  Maintenance costs are funded through an annual assessment against the property owners within the district.  Installation costs can be collected from property owners in annual assessment installments over five years.  Assessments are collected by the County from property owners on their property tax bills.

City Council Action

On February 25, 2025, the City Council approved a street lighting installation policy for the City of Whittier. This policy includes approved updates to the policy in compliance with Proposition 218 (CA Constitution Article XIII D) to meet requirements for the assessment of a potential new lighting district.

Part of the City Council’s policy allows existing residential areas to petition to establish a street lighting district, which would allow the property owners to pay their fair share of installation and maintenance costs. Before the City begins incurring costs in connection with the establishment of a street lighting district the City is prioritizing that affected property owners have shown substantial support for the establishment of the district. Any assessments collected are to be used to help cover the establishment, maintenance, repair, and monitoring of the street lights which would be totally covered by the City’s general fund.

Street Lighting Policy

If there are no streetlights in your neighborhood, you may request the installation of a permanent street lighting system with concrete poles and underground electrical services. In some cases, there are utility poles which are typically owned by Southern California Edison (SCE) and lights may be installed by SCE at no cost to you. Portions of the City of Whittier that were unincorporated before annexation may already be within a street lighting assessment district (check your property tax bill).

To establish a street light assessment district and a new street lighting system on your street, there is a six-step procedure:

1. More than fifty percent (50%) of property owners on a street must approve the establishment of a street light assessment district by petitioning the City.
   • Petition form
2. The petition must include a description or map showing the street segments on which lighting is proposed for installation and maintenance.
3. The petition must include a description or map showing the parcels proposed for inclusion in the district.
4. If the City receives a petition that is signed by the owners of at least 50% of the parcels proposed for inclusion in a district, the City Council will consider initiating proceedings to establish the district.
   1. The City will notify all property owners included in the assessment district and schedule a public hearing before the City Council.
   2. After hearing public testimony, the City Council will need a majority vote to establish a street light assessment district.
   3. If approved, the property owners will be assessed the construction and maintenance costs for street lights on their tax bills.
5. Any petition submitted pursuant to this policy must be accompanied by a deposit of $20,000 to defray the City’s costs.
6. The proposed district that is the subject of the proceedings may include boundaries and street segments that are modified from those proposed in the petition.

Please submit completed petitions to:

City of Whittier
13230 Penn Street
Whittier, CA 90602
Attn: Director of Public Works

Following receipt of your petition, your request will be placed on the agenda of the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting. If approved, the new street lighting system will then be programmed in the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for design and construction. The residents on the street will be assessed initial capital costs associated with the design and installation costs of the street lighting system through your annual county property tax bills. Estimated costs will vary depending on the type of light, quantity of lights, and location of the nearest SCE electrical connections to power the streetlights.

If you have any questions, please contact the City of Whittier Department of Public Works at (562) 567-9500 for additional information.

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