If it’s one of the newer homes in town, check before you offer. The City of Vacaville says most new residential development in the city must join a Mello-Roos Community Facilities District (CFD), and here those districts mainly pay for police and fire service (City of Vacaville, Community Facilities Districts page, checked September 24, 2026).
You can find out in about ten minutes. Type the address into the City’s CFD Map, then read the home’s Solano County tax bill. Here’s how, and what to watch for.
What does a Vacaville CFD actually pay for?
Mostly public safety. The City explains that in Vacaville, CFDs are generally used to fund police and fire services in areas that are added to the City and go from vacant land to homes. The special taxes help cover the extra police and fire service those new neighborhoods need (City of Vacaville, CFD FAQ, checked September 24, 2026).
State law lets a CFD pay for a long list of things, from streets and sewers to schools, parks and libraries, as the City’s page explains. Vacaville’s use for ongoing police and fire service changes one big thing for you, covered next.
Does the Vacaville special tax ever end?
Plan as if it won’t. The City’s FAQ says these special taxes are levied every year on the property tax bill, adjusted for inflation each year, and “do not expire, but continue in perpetuity” (City of Vacaville, CFD FAQ, checked September 24, 2026).
The yearly increase is tied to a Bureau of Labor Statistics price index for the San Francisco, Oakland and Hayward area. The City uses the index for urban wage earners and clerical workers for CFDs 8 through 12, and the all urban consumers index for CFD 1 (same FAQ). So the amount on your bill should creep up each year, not jump.
Why do some Vacaville homes pay more than others?
Because each district set its rate differently when it was formed. The City gives two examples (CFD FAQ, checked September 24, 2026):
- CFD 1 has the lowest rate. It was formed in the 1980s to pay 25% of the cost of Fire Station 74.
- CFD 10 and CFD 11 have the highest rates. They were formed in late 2005 and early 2006, and their rates were set to cover the full cost of public safety service for development inside them.
The City also posts annual reports for CFD 13, Lower Lagoon Valley (CFD page, checked September 24, 2026). Two homes on the same street can land in different districts if they were built at different times, so don’t guess from the neighborhood name.
Are new Vacaville subdivisions still being added?
Yes. In April 2026 the City Council annexed two new subdivisions off Vanden Road in southeast Vacaville into existing districts (The Reporter, “Vacaville green-lights projects with 156 homes,” April 15, 2026):
- Vandengate, 42 single-family homes bordered by Joyce Drive to the north and Vanden Road to the west, joined CFD 11. It was the eighth annexation into that district, which is expected to collect about $92,000 a year from Vandengate at full buildout.
- Vanden Cove, 114 single-family lots, joined CFD 12, which a city staff member called the “infill district.” Only phase one, 30 homes, was annexed at that meeting. The Reporter put the yield at about $45,512 a year for phase one and about $172,946 at full buildout.
Those are totals for each subdivision, not per-home bills. Per-home amounts depend on the lot and the district’s rate formula.
Why didn’t the buyers get a vote?
Because the land usually has no residents yet when a district forms or annexes. The City says a CFD needs two-thirds approval of registered voters if 12 or more live inside it, and otherwise a two-thirds vote of landowners by acreage (City of Vacaville, CFD page, checked September 24, 2026). For a new subdivision, that landowner is usually the developer. The Reporter noted both April 2026 elections were landowner votes, allocated by the acre.
So the decision is made before you ever tour the model home. Your chance to weigh it is before you sign.
How do I check one Vacaville address?
Four steps. Do them before you remove your contingencies.
- Search the City’s CFD Map. The link is on the Finance Department’s Community Facilities Districts page at cityofvacaville.gov. Enter the address to see the district and detailed tax information for parcels inside a CFD. The City notes that a parcel outside every CFD shows “No results found” in the CFD Map view.
- Pull the Solano County tax bill. The City’s FAQ points buyers to the county’s online tax information, searched by address. The Solano County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s “View and Pay Property Taxes Online” tool works by parcel. Look for a special tax line with a CFD name under the base tax.
- Get the Notice of Special Tax. The City says the seller is responsible for giving the buyer this notice, and it’s signed during escrow. State law requires the seller to make a good faith effort to get it from the agency that levies the tax (California Civil Code 1102.6b, checked September 24, 2026). Read it early, not at the signing table.
- Call with anything unclear. City of Vacaville Finance Department, 650 Merchant Street, (707) 449-5450. The City lists NBS as its CFD administrator.
Will my first tax bill match the seller’s?
No, and the difference catches people. After a purchase, Solano County reassesses the home and sends a supplemental tax bill for the gap between the old value and the new one. Buy between July and December and you’ll get one supplemental bill. Buy between January and June and you’ll get two. Your mortgage impound account won’t pay a supplemental bill unless you’ve arranged it with your lender (Solano County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Property Tax FAQ, checked September 24, 2026).
The CFD special tax rides on the regular annual bill. The first installment is due November 1 and gets a 10% penalty if unpaid after December 10. The second is due February 1 and becomes late after April 10, when a 10% penalty and a $10 cost are added (same FAQ).
Should Mello-Roos change which Vacaville home I buy?
It should change your math, not rule a home out. Add the special tax to the monthly payment, next to insurance and any HOA dues, and compare homes on the total. A newer home in a CFD may still cost less each month than an older home that needs a roof.
We explain how these taxes work. We don’t give tax advice. For how a special tax affects your own taxes, including whether any of it is deductible, talk to a tax professional. For the amount on a specific parcel, contact the City’s Finance Department or the Solano County Treasurer-Tax Collector, 675 Texas Street, Suite 1900, Fairfield, (707) 784-7485 (checked September 24, 2026).
Questions people also ask
What is the Mello-Roos tax in Vacaville used for?
Mainly police and fire. The City of Vacaville says its Community Facilities Districts generally fund public safety services for areas added to the City as they change from vacant land to homes. The special taxes help pay for the added police and fire service those neighborhoods need, per the City’s CFD FAQ, checked September 24, 2026.
Does Mello-Roos go away in Vacaville?
Not for the City’s public safety districts. The City’s CFD FAQ says the special taxes are levied every year on the property tax bill, adjusted each year for inflation using a Bureau of Labor Statistics price index, and continue in perpetuity. Budget for it as a permanent part of the payment and confirm the details for the parcel with the City’s Finance Department.
How do I look up a Vacaville CFD by address?
Use the CFD Map linked from the City of Vacaville Finance Department’s Community Facilities Districts page. Enter the address to see the district and tax details for parcels inside a CFD. A parcel outside every CFD shows “No results found.” Then match what you find to the Solano County tax bill for the same parcel.
Which Vacaville CFDs have the highest special tax?
The City’s CFD FAQ says CFD 10 and CFD 11, formed in late 2005 and early 2006, have the highest rates, because they were set to cover the full cost of public safety service. CFD 1, formed in the 1980s to help fund Fire Station 74, has the lowest. Check the parcel’s own bill for the actual dollar amount.
Your next step
Looking at a newer Vacaville home? Send us the address. We’ll check the City’s CFD map and the county tax bill with you and put the special tax into the monthly payment before you write an offer. Ask a Vacaville agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.
More on Vacaville: What to know before buying in Vacaville · Vacaville market update · Search Vacaville homes · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Vacaville, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.
Sources
- City of Vacaville, Finance Department, Community Facilities Districts page, CFD FAQ and CFD Map link: cityofvacaville.gov/government/finance/community-facilities-districts (checked September 24, 2026)
- The Reporter (Nick McConnell), “Vacaville green-lights projects with 156 homes,” April 15, 2026, syndicated at pressdemocrat.com (checked September 24, 2026)
- Solano County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Tax Collector page and Property Tax FAQ: solanocounty.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Civil Code 1102.6b: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (checked September 24, 2026)