The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Population growth and development in unincorporated areas result in new and increased demands for public facilities and services that promote the public peace, health, safety, and general welfare.

(b) The residents and property owners in unincorporated areas should have reasonable methods available so that they can finance and provide these needed public facilities and services.

(c) The residents and property owners in some unincorporated areas may propose the incorporation of new cities or annexations to existing cities as a way to fulfill these demands for public facilities and services.

(d) In other unincorporated areas, independent special districts with directly elected or appointed governing boards can fulfill these demands for public facilities and services.

(e) County boards of supervisors need alternative organizations and methods to finance and provide needed public facilities and services to the residents and property owners of unincorporated areas.

(f) In enacting the County Service Area Law by this chapter, it is the intent of the Legislature to continue a broad statutory authority for county boards of supervisors to use county service areas as a method to finance and provide needed public facilities and services.

(g) Further, it is the intent of the Legislature that county boards of supervisors, residents, and property owners use the powers and procedures provided by the County Service Area Law to meet the diversity of local conditions, circumstances, and resources.

(Added by Stats. 2008, Ch. 158, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2009.)