A flat rate since 2011, the parcel tax for residents of Providence Landing—a neighborhood in the unincorporated Vandenberg Village area—will jump from $672 to $692.
These funds go toward upkeep at the Providence Landing Park, an arrangement Santa Barbara County 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson noted as unlike any other tax collected across the county.
During the Board of Supervisors’ July 14 meeting, Nelson was part of the 5-0 vote to jointly approve both the Providence Landing increase and a 3 percent parcel tax increase for residents of the Orcutt Community Facilities District (CFD). But not before fleshing out his intention to advocate for reforming both tax formats in the future.
“If they’re paying more, we should give them additional services,” Nelson said. “If they’re already paying property taxes … for those [same] types of things.
“Something that’s always been a conversation in Orcutt is residents are paying multiple times for the same services,” Nelson continued. “There are places where that doesn’t necessarily happen. I just wanted that on the radar.”
While 80 percent of the Orcutt CFD tax goes toward Sheriff’s Office and County Fire services, the majority of Providence Landing funds go directly toward park maintenance at the neighborhood’s 12-acre public park.
“In recent years, Providence Landing has experienced increased park operation and maintenance costs,” County Finance and Administration Assistant Director Andrew Myung said, “which is driving the need to increase the assessment for the first time in 15 years.”
Nelson asked Myung if Providence Landing Park was only accessible to residents of Providence Landing. Myung said the park is open to all members of the public.
“Some of this is a little rhetorical,” Nelson said. “So, it’s a county park paid almost 100 percent by the surrounding property owners in that neighborhood?”
“Yes,” Myung replied. “That’s correct.”
On the topic of the Orcutt CFD parcel tax increase, Nelson asked staff: “Do you know of anywhere else in the county where any residents pay on top of their [regular taxes] for additional Fire and Sheriff services?”
County Community Services Department Director Jesús Armas said the reason the Orcutt CFD and Providence Landing CFD assessments are so unique is because they’re the two sole CFDs in the county.
“This is a unique situation. It is not unique, however, in other governmental agencies,” Armas said. “Cities and counties frequently rely on CFDs as a way of lessening impacts on general fund operations.”
This article appears in July 16 – July 23, 2026.
