The McMullin Area Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MAGSA) landowners and board approved the renewal of the Proposition 218 acreage fee of $19/acre for an additional five years through fiscal year 2027-2028. The Public Hearing was opened on June 7, 2023 and closed on July 5, 2023 in Kerman, CA.
No written or verbal protests were submitted to MAGSA in opposition to the proposed fee that will continue to be levied on landowners within MAGSA. A majority protest was needed to prevent the renewal of the fee. The $19/acre fee will fund MAGSA administration and activities related to planning and implementing local projects aimed to achieve groundwater sustainability and meet Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requirements.
The fee will be levied via County tax rolls on all landowners within the GSA excluding parcels of 2 acres or less. To determine if your property lies within MAGSA you can use this CA DWR map tool.
The MAGSA Board originally set the rate at $19/acre for the fiscal year 2018-2019 following a Proposition 218 election in 2018. Due to MAGSA’s aggressive pursuit of financial aid for the region through a variety of grants, the acreage fee did not increase. “GSAs almost always increase their fees,” says Alison Lechowicz, election consultant with Lechowicz + Tseng Municipal Consultants. “MAGSA is a very cost-effective agency.”