On August 20, 2025, the California Supreme Court denied review of a Court of Appeal decision finding that the City of Redlands charged an impermissible fee for the privilege of using local roads by embedding street repair...more
The United States Supreme Court’s April 12, 2024 decision in Sheetz v. County of El Dorado unanimously rejected longstanding California precedent. The Court’s decision further solidified that fees imposed as a condition of...more
On July 30, 2025, a divided California Court of Appeal issued its long-awaited opinion in Patz v. City of San Diego, affirming the trial court’s judgment that the City’s tiered residential water rates violated Proposition 218...more
8/1/2025
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The landscape for water rate setting in California is quickly evolving, and public agencies face growing challenges adjusting to new and complex standards when establishing or increasing water fees and charges. For example,...more
California Appellate Court Says Toll is a Fee to Use Government Property, Exempt from Tax Definition-
Tolls imposed for use of state-owned toll bridges are not taxes, and increases to the rates for those tolls are not...more