City of Covina Official Site and Covina Police Department Official Site

Dear Covina Community:

The Covina Citizen’s Finance Advisory Committee is composed of volunteers who review and provide input to the City’s budget and spending practices.

In this economy, we want to assure ourselves that the City continues to operate in a fiscally responsible manner while ensuring that important community services are maintained.

Covina’s Lighting District provides safety lights and street lights throughout our community.  Adequate street lighting assists in keeping the City’s’ neighborhood streets safe for drivers and pedestrians.  Safe, well-lit streets help to maintain safe neighborhoods and stable property values, and keep Covina’s neighborhoods and commercial areas desirable places to live and do business.

Covina’s Lighting Assessment District (LAD) has been in place since November 1978 and rates have not changed since its enactment.  The existing LAD needs updating to ensure that all property owners who enjoy street lighting contribute to keeping our lights operational and our community safe.

Additionally, Covina residents should know:

• The City will continue to pay at least 34% of street lighting costs making the 2012 annual rate for single-family homeowners only $24.66.
• This is not a new tax. The LAD has been in place for nearly 34 years and simply needs updating.
• LAD funds can only be used for street lighting, not for any other purpose.  By law all funds must stay in Covina and can’t be taken by Sacramento.

As electricity costs imposed by Southern California Edison continue to rise, the City will only have less money for community services such as public safety, parks and recreation, street maintenance / pothole repair, library services, and senior programs.  

The Covina Citizen’s Finance Advisory Committee recommends updating the LAD to ensure that all property owners who enjoy street lighting contribute to keeping the community safe, while allowing the City to use its critical funding for community services like police protection and parks and recreation.

There will be an all-mail ballot sent to Covina property owners in June regarding the LAD – please watch for it in the mail

Please click here to read more Frequently Asked Questions on the LAD update.  If you have further questions about the LAD update, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any additional questions.

Thank you,
Covina Citizen’s Finance Advisory Committee

Click here for a copy of the complete mailer.