HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES NO 040-04RESOLUTION NO. 0 Zl, 0 -0'4
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING A
STATEWIDE BALLOT INITIATIVE TO
REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL BEFORE
STATE GOVERNMENT MAY TAKE LOCAL
TAX FUNDS
WHEREAS, our state government annually seizes over $800 million in city
property tax funds (ERAF) statewide, costing cities over $6.9 billion in lost revenues
over the past 12 years and seriously reducing resoumes available for local public safety
and other services; and
WHEREAS, in adopting the state budget this year the Legislature and Governor
appropriated local vehicle license fee backfill and redevelopment property tax funds that
are needed to finance critical city services such as public safety, parks, street
maintenance, housing and economic development; and
WHEREAS, the deficit financing plan in the state budget depends on a local
property and sales tax swap that leaves city services vulnerable; and
WHEREAS, the adopted state budget assumes an ongoing structural budget
deficit of at least $8 billion, putting city resources and services at risk now and in future
years to additional state revenue raids; and
WHEREAS, it is abundantly clear that state leaders will continue to use local tax
funds to balance the state budget unless the voters limit the power of the Legislature
and Governor to do so; and
WHEREAS, the voters of California are the best judges of whether local tax
funds should be diverted, confiscated, shifted or otherwise taken to finance an ever-
expanding state government; and
WHEREAS, the General Assembly of Voting Delegates of the League of
California Cities at its September 10, 2003 meeting voted to sponsor a statewide ballot
initiative to empower the voters to limit the ability of state government to confiscate local
tax funds to fund state government; and
WHEREAS, the League has requested that cities offer support for a November
2004 ballot initiative that will allow voters to decide whether state government may
appropriate local tax funds to fund state government operations and responsibilities.
Page 1 of 2 Pages
OR)GINAL
NOW, THEREFORE, INCORPORATING THE ABOVE RECITALS HEREIN, BE
IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Bakersfield as follows:
That the City of Bakersfield hereby expresses its strong support for a
statewide ballot initiative to allow voters to decide whether local tax
funds may be taken, confiscated, shifted, diverted or otherwise used
to fund state government operations and responsibilities.
That the City Council and staff are authorized to provide impartial
informational materials on the initiative as may be lawfully provided by
the city's representatives. No public funds shall be used to campaign
for or against the initiative.
That the residents of the City of Bakersfield are encouraged to
become well informed on the initiative and its possible impacts on the
critical local services on which they rely.
That the City Clerk is hereby directed to send a copy of this
Resolution to the Executive Director of the League of California
Cities.
......... 000 .........
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted by
the Council of the City of Bakersfield at a regular meeting thereof held o~
the following vote:
~ COUNCIL MEMBER COUCH, CARSON, BENHAM, MAGGARD, HANSON, SULLIVAN, SALVAGGIO
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBER
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBER
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBER
FEB 2
APPROVED
By
HARVEY L. HALL /
Mayor
CITY CLERK AND'EX OFFICIO of the
Council of the City of Bakersfield
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
VIRGINIA G ENNA'I~O
City Attorney ,/
S :\C ~ N Cl~eso$~st atew/id'e ba~lotin it iative.doc
Page 2 of 2 Pages
ORIGINAL