Resource Defense Fund v. Local Agency Formation Commission

We hold that before a local agency formation commission (hereafter LAFCO) may approve an annexation of territory to a local governmental agency, it must develop, determine, and adopt the spheres of of each local governmental agency which might include the subject in its sphere of influence.

Statement of the Case

On May 20, 1981, petitioners, Resource Defense Fund, an environmental association (hereafter RDF), and individual members and taxpayers, filed a petition for writ of mandate and/or prohibition in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, seeking in their first cause of action to compel respondent LAFCO to adopt spheres of influence for each local governmental agency in the county and in their second cause of action to compel LAFCO to set aside its approval of a specific project known as the Sequoia Annexation.

On May 21, 1981, the trial court denied the petition as to the second cause of action. Petitioners then sought writ of mandate and/or prohibition as to the Annexation in this court. (Resource Defense Fund v. Santa Cruz County Local Agency Formation Corn., 1 Civ. 52826.) On May 27, 1981, we stayed all further proceedings related to the Sequoia Annexation pending…