San Diego LAFCO
Home MenuSphere of Influence (SOI) Updates
LAFCOs establish, amend, and update spheres of influence for all cities, towns, and most special districts in California to designate the territory it independently believes represents the appropriate and probable future service areas and jurisdictional boundaries of the affected agencies. Importantly, all jurisdictional changes, such as annexations and detachments, must be consistent with the spheres of the affected local agencies with limited exceptions. Further, an increasingly important role involving sphere determinations relate to their use by regional councils of governments as planning areas in allocating housing need assignments for counties, cities, and towns. LAFCOs must review and update all local agencies’ spheres every five years beginning in 2008. In making sphere determinations, LAFCOs are required to prepare written statements addressing five specific planning factors listed under Government Code Section 56425. These mandatory factors range from evaluating current and future land uses to the existence of pertinent communities of interest. The intent in preparing the written statements is to orient LAFCOs in addressing the core principles underlying the sensible development of local agencies consistent with the anticipated needs of the affected communities.
Updated Study Schedule | FY2025-2029
MSR/SOI Report 2023-2024