HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES NO 012-10
RESOLUTION NO. O
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE LOCAL TAXPAYER,
PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION PROTECTION
ACT OF 2010
WHEREAS, California voters have repeatedly and overwhelmingly passed
separate ballot measures to stop State raids of local government funds, and to
dedicate the taxes on gasoline to fund local and state transportation improvement
projects; and
WHEREAS, these local government funds are critical to provide the police and
fire, emergency response, parks, libraries, and other vital local services that residents
rely upon every day, and gas tax funds are vital to maintain and improve local streets
and roads, to make road safety improvements, relieve traffic congestion, and provide
mass transit; and
WHEREAS, despite the fact that voters have repeatedly passed measures to
prevent the State from taking these revenues dedicated to funding local government
services and transportation improvement projects, the State Legislature has seized and
borrowed billions of dollars in local government and transportation funds in the past
few years; and
WHEREAS, this year's borrowing and raids of local government, redevelopment
and transit funds, as well as previous, ongoing raids of local government and
transportation funds have lead to severe consequences, such as layoffs of police, fire
and paramedic first responders, fire station closures, stalled economic development,
healthcare cutbacks, delays in road safety improvements, public transit fare increases
and cutbacks in public transit services; and
WHEREAS, State politicians in Sacramento have continued to ignore the will of
the voters, and current law provides no penalties when state politicians take or borrow
these locally-dedicated funds; and
WHEREAS, a coalition of local government, transportation and transit advocates
recently filed a constitutional amendment with the California Attorney General, called
the Local Taxpayer, Public Safety, and Transportation Protection Act of 2010, for
potential placement on California's November 2010 statewide ballot; and
WHEREAS, approval of this ballot initiative would close loopholes and change
the constitution to further prevent State politicians in Sacramento from seizing,
diverting, shifting, borrowing, transferring, suspending or otherwise taking or interfering
with tax revenues dedicated to funding local government services, including
redevelopment, or dedicated to transportation improvement projects and mass
transit. ~OAKF,9
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Bakersfield formally endorses the
Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Protection Act of 2010, a proposed
constitutional amendment.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we hereby authorize the listing of the City of
Bakersfield in support of the Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation
Protection Act of 2010.
HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted by the
Council of the City of Bakersfield at a regular meeting thereof held on January 27,
2010, by the following vote:
YE ' COUNCIL MEMBER CARSON, BENHAM, WE '1R, I, HANSON, SULLIVAN, SCRI ER
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBER Yl bhp
A COUNCIL MEMBER MEL
BSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER 611Ch-
ROBERTA A GAFFORD, C
CITY CLERK AND EX OFFICIO of the
Council of the City of Bakersfield
APPROVED JAN 2 7 10
HARVEY L. HALL
Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
VIRGINIA GENNARO
City Attor
By
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ORIGINAL