Frequently Asked Questions
The Open Space Subvention Act (OSSA) was enacted on January 1, 1972, to provide for the partial replacement of local property tax revenue foregone as a result of participation in the California Land Conservation (Williamson) Act and other enforceable open space restriction programs (Government Code §16140 et seq.). Participating local governments receive annual payment on the basis of the quantity (number of acres), quality (soil type and agricultural productivity), and, for Farmland Security Zone contracts, location (proximity to a city) of land enrolled under eligible enforceable open space restrictions.
The State’s General Fund.
Amendments to the Budget Act of 2009 reduced the Williamson Act Subvention payments budget to $1,000 – essentially suspending subvention payments to the counties for fiscal year 2009-2010. However, with the passage of Senate Bill 863 on October 19, 2010, each participating county will now receive a one-time, pro-rata amount of a $10 million subvention fund for fiscal year 2010-2011. The pro-rata amount will be based on total subvention claims for fiscal year 2010-2011.
How does the application and payment process work?
Subvention payments are based on an OSSA application that is filled out by a local government and submitted to the Department. The Department reviews the applications for accuracy and then certifies the entitlement amounts to the State Controller’s Office for payment.
The Department typically publishes the application in August. It is due back to the Department on or before October 31st of that year.
Applications are processed in the order that they are received. The Department certifies subvention amounts in an entitlement report, which is then sent to the Controller’s Office for payment. In the past, subvention payments went out to the counties on a “rolling” basis – once a county’s entitlement claim was certified by the Department, the Controller’s Office would release that county’s funds. However, pursuant to §16144, the Controller now makes all subvention payments on or before June 30, but no earlier than April 20, of each year. To clarify, participating counties will receive their pro-rata share of the above mentioned $10 million subvention fund between April 20 and June 30, 2011.
The application captures ten types of enrollment changes and four categories of eligibility. The enrollment changes are captured at the parcel-level, while the eligibility categories are aggregated at the county- or city-wide level. Cancellation fee payment information is also reported, as well as the subvention payment amount to which the local government is entitled.
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