Photo above: The Solano County Government Center on Texas Street in downtown Fairfield, California, April 2023. Missvain, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Maybe, and you can check before you write an offer. Look up the home’s current Solano County property tax bill for special tax and assessment lines, then use the City of Fairfield’s district map to see if the address sits in a Landscaping and Lighting Maintenance District (LLMD).
The listing won’t tell you. The tax bill will. Here’s how to read it, and what changed with the 2026 LLMD refunds.
What is the difference between Mello-Roos and an LLMD?
Both show up on your county property tax bill, on top of the base tax. They are paid for by the parcels inside a district, and they pay for different things.
- Mello-Roos is a special tax from a Community Facilities District (CFD), formed under the Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act. California law makes a seller whose home is subject to one make a good faith effort to get the notice from the local agency that levies it and give it to the buyer (California Civil Code 1102.6b, checked September 24, 2026).
- An LLMD is an assessment district set up under the state Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972 (Streets and Highways Code 22500 and following). It pays for landscaping, lighting and related upkeep in a defined area (City of Fairfield, LLMDs page, checked September 24, 2026).
The County’s Auditor-Controller adds the 1% base rate, voter-approved bonds, service fees and special assessments to the assessed value to get the bill you pay (Solano County Assessor, Property Tax System page, checked September 24, 2026).
Which parts of Fairfield have an LLMD?
Many. The City lists these districts on its LLMD page (checked September 24, 2026):
- No. 1 Gateway, and No. 2023-1 (Gateway)
- No. 3 Waterman Highlands
- No. 5 Smith Ranch (Rancho Solano)
- No. 6 Peppertree
- No. 7 Rolling Hills
- No. 8 Kolob Estates
- No. 10 Southbrook
- No. 11 Paradise Valley North, and No. 2023-11 (Paradise Valley)
- No. 12 Downtown Business District
- No. 13 Green Valley (formerly North Cordelia)
- No. 14 Woodlake
- No. 15 Gold Ridge, and No. 18 Gold Ridge Park
- No. 16 Creekside at Cordelia
- No. 17 Chadbourne-Beck-Cordelia
- No. 19 Corporate Commons
Don’t guess from the subdivision name. The City’s page has a “Find Out Which District You Live In” map where you search by address or street name. Use it, then match it to the tax bill.
Does Fairfield have Mello-Roos districts?
Yes, the City reports on its Community Facilities Districts. The Finance Department’s Financial Reports page posts CDIAC reports and CFD parcel tax reports for fiscal year 2023-24 (City of Fairfield, Financial Reports page, checked September 24, 2026).
Those reports are written for regulators, not home buyers. The fast answer for one house is still its tax bill. A CFD line will name the district. If you see one, ask the seller for the Mello-Roos notice the law requires.
What are the 2026 Fairfield LLMD refunds?
The City is refunding part of what owners in eight districts paid for tax years 2022-23 through 2025-26. It mailed the first batch of automatic partial refund checks on July 29, 2026. The refunds follow the Thacker v. City of Fairfield Final Stipulated Judgment and the City Council’s May 5, 2026 authorization (City of Fairfield news release, July 30, 2026).
What the City’s LLMD Assessment Refunds page says (checked September 24, 2026):
- Eligible districts: Nos. 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 and 13. In No. 13, the Hidden Meadows, Village Oak and Jayo subdivisions are excluded.
- Automatic partial refunds cover the difference between each district’s 1996 rate and what was actually levied. No claim needed.
- Checks go to the owners on the Solano County tax roll for each tax year, mailed to the latest address on file for 2025-26.
- Timing: parcels with no change of ownership during those years, about 70% of eligible parcels, were paid July 29, 2026. Parcels that sold or changed title, about 30%, are now expected by October 15, 2026.
- Full refunds of the whole assessment are available by claim. The claim deadline for tax year 2022-23 was June 30, 2026.
The City’s estimated automatic refund per parcel for the four years:
| District | Estimated total refund |
|---|---|
| No. 1 Gateway | Varies by parcel (2022-23 only) |
| No. 3 Waterman | $173.20 |
| No. 6 Peppertree | $110.80 |
| No. 7 Rolling Hills | $296.22 to $311.31 (through 2024-25) |
| No. 8 Kolob | $391.04 |
| No. 11 Paradise Valley | $113.78 (2022-23 only) |
| No. 12 Downtown | Varies by parcel |
| No. 13 North Cordelia | $382.92 to $391.16 |
Source: City of Fairfield, LLMD Assessment Refunds page, checked September 24, 2026. Questions go to the City at (707) 428-7089 or [email protected].
If you’re buying: the refund follows who was on the tax roll in those years, which usually means the seller, not you. The assessment itself doesn’t go away because of the refunds. Check what the current bill still charges.
If you’re selling or already sold: the City says owners who moved, sold or changed their name must file a claim to confirm identity and mailing address.
How do I check a specific Fairfield address?
Four steps. Do them while you still have your contingencies.
- Pull the tax bill. Use the Solano County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s “View and Pay Property Taxes Online” search by parcel number or address. Read every line under the base tax.
- Check the City’s LLMD map by address, and note the district number.
- Ask the County about any line you don’t understand. Solano County says questions about special assessments and tax rates go to the Auditor-Controller’s office, (707) 784-6280 (Solano County, Property Tax FAQ and Property Tax System pages, checked September 24, 2026).
- Read the seller’s disclosures for the Mello-Roos notice required by Civil Code 1102.6b.
Why will my first tax bill look different from the seller’s?
Because your purchase resets the value. Solano County says a change in ownership triggers a supplemental tax bill for the difference between the old and new values, and you can get more than one. Your lender’s impound account won’t pay a supplemental bill unless you set that up with them (Solano County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Property Tax FAQ, checked September 24, 2026).
The regular secured bill has its own dates. The first installment is due November 1 and is late after December 10. The second is due February 1 and is late after April 10. Each late installment gets a 10% penalty, and the second also gets a $10 cost (same FAQ).
So the seller’s bill tells you which districts apply. It doesn’t tell you your number.
Should Mello-Roos or an LLMD stop me from buying?
Not by itself. It’s part of the monthly cost, like insurance. Get the real amounts early, add them to the payment, and compare homes on the total. Ask your lender how they count these charges when you qualify.
This page explains how the charges work. It isn’t tax advice. For how a special tax or assessment affects your own taxes, talk to a tax professional. For the amounts on a parcel, go to the Solano County Treasurer-Tax Collector, 675 Texas Street, Suite 1900, Fairfield, (707) 784-7485 (checked September 24, 2026).
Questions people also ask
How do I find out if a Fairfield house is in an LLMD?
Use the City of Fairfield’s LLMD page, which has a map you can search by address or street name. Then confirm on the Solano County tax bill, where the district shows as its own line. The City lists more than a dozen LLMDs, from No. 1 Gateway to No. 19 Corporate Commons, per its LLMD page, checked September 24, 2026.
Who gets the Fairfield LLMD refund when a house sold?
The City pays automatic refunds to the owners listed on the Solano County tax roll for each eligible tax year. Parcels that changed hands are in a second batch, now expected by October 15, 2026, per the City’s LLMD Assessment Refunds page, checked September 24, 2026. Former owners who moved must file a claim with the City to confirm their mailing address.
Where do I look up a Solano County property tax bill?
Go to the Solano County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s online tax search, “View and Pay Property Taxes Online,” and search by parcel number or address. The office is at 675 Texas Street, Suite 1900, in Fairfield, phone (707) 784-7485, per the County’s Tax Collector page, checked September 24, 2026. Each special tax or assessment appears as its own line.
What is a supplemental tax bill in Solano County?
It’s an extra secured tax bill after a sale or new construction, for the difference between the old value and the new one. You can get more than one. Solano County’s Property Tax FAQ, checked September 24, 2026, says your mortgage impound account won’t pay it unless you arrange that with your lender, so plan for it after you close.
Your next step
Send us the address. We’ll pull the tax bill, check the LLMD map, and flag every special tax and assessment line so you see the full monthly cost before you write. Ask a Fairfield agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.
More on Fairfield: Is Fairfield, CA a good place to live? · Fairfield market update · Search Fairfield homes · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Fairfield, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.
Sources
- City of Fairfield, Landscaping and Lighting Maintenance Districts (LLMDs) page and district list: fairfield.ca.gov/llmd (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Fairfield, LLMD Assessment Refunds page: fairfield.ca.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Fairfield, “City of Fairfield mails first batch of LLMD refund checks,” July 30, 2026: fairfield.ca.gov/our-city/latest-news
- City of Fairfield, Finance, Financial Reports (CDIAC and CFD parcel tax reports, FY 2023-24): fairfield.ca.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- Solano County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Tax Collector page and Property Tax FAQ: solanocounty.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- Solano County Assessor, Property Tax System page: solanocounty.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Civil Code 1102.6b: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (checked September 24, 2026)