What is the Measure Z charge on a Wildomar tax bill?

You’re reading the property tax bill for a Wildomar home and spot a small fixed charge, plus a larger special tax on some newer properties. Measure Z is Wildomar’s citywide parks parcel tax, capped at $28 per parcel each year.

The larger charge may come from Community Facilities District No. 2013-1 (Services), but only when the parcel is within one of its specific zones. These are separate taxes with different purposes, rates and rules.

What is Measure Z?

Measure Z is a special parcel tax that pays for Wildomar’s community parks, park facilities, programs and services.

Voters approved it on November 6, 2012, with more than the two-thirds support required. It took effect July 1, 2013, after more than two years of limited park maintenance and some park closures caused by the loss of funding sources.

Wildomar Municipal Code Chapter 3.18 calls it the “Save Wildomar Community Parks Funding Measure.” Ordinance 71 added the chapter and defines a parcel as a unit shown on the Riverside County Assessor’s current roll.

The charge isn’t based on the property’s assessed value. The ordinance identifies it as a special tax and directs the money to a restricted special fund. It applies citywide, unlike the neighborhood-level CFD taxes.

Can the Measure Z charge increase or expire?

Measure Z cannot exceed $28 per parcel per year, and Ordinance 71 contains no inflation escalator.

The tax began July 1, 2013, and the ordinance says it continues annually thereafter. It doesn’t include an expiration provision. The City Council also cannot amend Chapter 3.18 to raise the tax without applicable voter approval.

That makes the charge easier to identify when you’re reviewing recurring property expenses: a flat annual cap per parcel, not an amount calculated from the home’s price or assessed value. The City of Wildomar’s Measure Z page describes it as an annual tax for park maintenance and services.

What does Measure Z pay for?

Measure Z pays for community park operations, facilities, programs and related services listed in Chapter 3.18.

That includes maintaining public restrooms, playground equipment, safety lighting, sports fields, landscaping and park structures. It also covers graffiti removal. The four parks named in the city’s annual report are Marna O’Brien Park, Regency Heritage Park, Windsong Park and Malaga Park.

A citizens’ oversight advisory committee with at least five city residents reviews the program, and the city provides an annual report to the City Council and an independent annual audit of spending. The committee meets at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 23873 Clinton Keith Road, on the fourth Thursday of February, May and August, and the first Thursday in December.

For fiscal year 2024-25, the city reported $392,913 in revenue, $324,554 in expenditures and a June 30, 2025 fund balance of $34,797. The Measure Z annual report says spending was lower primarily because Community Facilities Districts contributed to city park maintenance.

What is CFD No. 2013-1?

CFD No. 2013-1 consists of neighborhood service zones that cover only defined areas, many associated with newer tracts.

The fiscal year 2024-25 annual report identifies 24 numbered zones, listed as Zones 1 through 5 and 7 through 24, plus Special Tax B. No Zone 6 appears in that report. The annual report and the city’s AB 2109 report differ in which zones they list, so don’t use either list by itself to decide whether a parcel is included.

Each zone pays for the services authorized for that area. Those may include landscaping, lighting maintenance, graffiti abatement, street sweeping, pavement management, drainage maintenance, and parks or trail maintenance. The mix varies: Zone 4 covers only lighting maintenance, while Zone 21 covers lighting, streets and drainage.

The service zones are non-bonded districts. Their taxes pay for ongoing maintenance, not construction bond debt. For more background, see what Mello-Roos taxes are.

How much can a CFD zone charge?

A CFD No. 2013-1 charge depends on the parcel’s zone, property classification and annual levy.

Many zone rates are stated per developed residential unit. Some zones instead use a per-property amount, so you shouldn’t assume every parcel follows the same format. Maximum rates rise each July 1 with inflation, subject to a floor in the governing formula.

For fiscal year 2024-25, residential maximums included $501.06 in Zones 1 and 2, $491.23 in Zone 3, $72.99 in lighting-only Zone 4 and $2,197.58 in Zone 24. Other zones had different maximums. The ceiling isn’t necessarily the amount actually levied.

For example, the city levied $39,902.22 across 81 Zone 1 parcels for fiscal year 2024-25, compared with a maximum total of $40,585.58. The CFD No. 2013-1 annual report provides general zone boundaries, authorized services, maximum rates and levy information.

What is Special Tax B?

Special Tax B is a separate CFD No. 2013-1 charge for police protection, fire protection and suppression, and an operating reserve.

It applies to residential properties in applicable annexation areas. A home within a CFD service zone can carry both the zone’s maintenance tax and Special Tax B. The presence of Special Tax B doesn’t mean every CFD No. 2013-1 service tax pays for police or fire.

For fiscal year 2024-25, Special Tax B covered 462 parcels and had a total levy of $235,757.20. Maximum residential rates varied by zone, from about $359.81 to $416.53 per unit. The maximum rises each July 1 under an inflation-based formula with a floor.

The city’s AB 2109 report lists no end date for CFD No. 2013-1, showing “N/A” for the sunset. These are non-bonded service taxes, so don’t expect a payoff date as you would with a bond.

How can you check whether a home is in a CFD zone?

You can check a parcel by reading the tax bill and seller disclosures, reviewing city records, and asking the city to confirm the result.

Start with the full Riverside County property tax bill. Look for a Community Facilities District charge and use the telephone number printed for the district imposing it. The label on the bill may not say “Measure Z” in those words, so use the district phone number printed on the bill to ask.

Next, check the city’s AB 2109 parcel-tax report archive and the CFD No. 2013-1 annual report. The annual report describes general boundaries. Zone 1, for example, lies southwest of Interstate 15 near Clinton Keith Road, Stable Lane Road, Windsong Lane and Arnett Road. Zone 3 is west of Interstate 15 around Palomar Street and McVicar Street.

Those descriptions help you screen a property, but they don’t confirm an individual parcel. Ask Wildomar City Hall at 951-677-7751 whether the assessor’s parcel number falls within a CFD zone and whether both the service tax and Special Tax B apply.

Read the transaction documents too. The California seller disclosure overview explains the broader disclosure process, while the tax bill and district records let you check the charge for the specific parcel.

How do these charges fit into the county tax bill?

Measure Z and any applicable CFD charges appear on the annual Riverside County property tax bill separately from the assessed-value tax.

The bill covers July 1 through June 30 and uses the assessed value as of January 1. It is generally mailed in late September or early October. The first installment is due by December 10 and the second by April 10, with the deadline moving to the next business day when it falls on a weekend or holiday.

Chapter 3.18 allows Measure Z to be collected only through the annual bill sent by the Riverside County Tax Collector. The County Assessor doesn’t control special assessments. Riverside County says the bill provides a telephone number for each district imposing an assessment and that Mello-Roos charges appear as Community Facilities District fees. Use the county’s special-assessment explanation to help match a charge with the responsible district.

This annual bill is different from the supplemental property tax bill issued after a purchase.

The short version

Measure Z is a citywide parks tax capped at $28 per Wildomar parcel each year. It has no inflation escalator, continues annually and cannot be raised without applicable voter approval.

CFD No. 2013-1 applies only within specific zones. It funds services that vary by zone, and its maximum rates rise each year under the governing formulas. A covered residential property may also carry Special Tax B for police and fire services. The city’s report lists no sunset date.

Before comparing Wildomar homes, use the parcel number to read the full tax bill, review the city reports, check the seller’s disclosures and request confirmation from City Hall. Once the recurring charges are clear, put the property into the home value tool.