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Economic Development

Maintenance Assessment Districts

A Maintenance Assessment District (MAD) is a legal mechanism by which property owners within specified boundaries vote to establish an assessment on their property tax bill to improve their community. MADs provide services over and above what the City of San Diego normally provides, often called a “special benefit.” These special benefits are determined by property owners and can include litter and graffiti abatement, trash collection and bulky item removal, as well as a variety of maintenance and economic development services. 

For most MADs in commercial areas, the Economic Development Department contracts with a nonprofit community-based organization for the management of the district. In the absence of a nonprofit community-based organization, the Economic Development Department works closely with community leaders to directly manage contracts with service providers. Click here to enter an address and see whether your business or property is in a MAD.

Looking for information on the Central Commercial Maintenance Assessment District? Click here.

Other assessment district programs managed by the City include Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and Property and Business Improvement Districts (PBIDs).

For questions or more information, contact us at sdbusiness@sandiego.gov.

Maintenance Assessment District Information

Maintenance Assessment Districts and the Economic Development Department

The Economic Development Department oversees nine MADs, while the Parks and Recreation Department manages 55 MADs across the City. Seven of the MADs administered by Economic Development are self-managed by nonprofit organizations, while Barrio Logan and Central Commercial are directly managed by the City. This means the City directly manages contractors to provide services to these MADs. 

Special Assessment Refund Claim Form

Property owners that wish to file a refund claim for a City of San Diego property-based special assessment must complete the PDF icon Special Assessment Refund Claim Form (PDF) and return it to the Economic Development Department.

The refund claim form must be accurately completed, printed, signed by the claimant and mailed or personally presented in hard copy format to:

City of San Diego
Economic Development Department
Attn: Special Assessment Refund Claim
1200 Third Ave., 14th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101

After the claim has been received by our office:

  1. A review and verification process will be conducted. Claims are usually reviewed and processed within 45 days after receipt by our office. When filling out the form, please be as accurate as possible to expedite the review and verification process.
  2. Provide written justification for the amount of refund indicated on the form:

Information requested by the Economic Development Department does not guarantee that your claim has been accepted for payment. Any information provided will be evaluated as part of the review process.