HomeMy WebLinkAbout10 - Safety and Transportation Protection ActCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. € Lo
November 24, 2009
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Administrative Services Department
Dennis C. Danner, Administrative Services Director
(949) 644 -3123 or ddanner (a)newportbeachca.gov
Glen Everroad, Revenue Manager
(949) 644 -3144 or geverroadOnewportbeachca.gov
SUBJECT: LOCAL TAXPAYER, PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION
PROTECTION ACT OF 2010
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City support the League of California Cities (League) sponsored
ballot measure "Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Protection Act of
2010 °, and adopt the attached proposed Resolution in support of the measure.
DISCUSSION:
Background:
During the League's Annual Conference in September, the General Assembly
unanimously supported qualifying a local government revenue protection ballot measure
for the November 2010 ballot. The Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation
Protection Act of 2010 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would stop the
State from raiding or borrowing funding for local public safety, transportation, transit and
other essential local government services. As submitted with the Attorney General for
Title and Summary last month, the measure would:
• Prohibit the State from taking, borrowing or redirecting local taxpayer
funds dedicated to public safety, emergency response and other vital
local government services. The measure would close loopholes to prevent
the taking of funds currently dedicated to cities, counties, special districts and
redevelopment agencies. It would also end the State's fiscally irresponsible
practice of borrowing local government property tax funds.
Local Taxpayer, Public Safety & Transportation Protection Act
November 24, 2009
Page 2
• Protect vital, dedicated transportation and public transit funds from State
raids. The measure would prevent State borrowing, taking or redirecting of the
state sales tax on gasoline (Prop 42 funds) and Highway User Tax on gasoline
(HUTA) funds that voters have dedicated to transportation maintenance and
improvements. It would also prevent the State from redirecting or taking public
transit funds.
• Protect local taxpayers by keeping more of our local tax dollars local
where there's more accountability to voters, and by ensuring once and
for all that our gas taxes go to fund road improvements. The measure also
reduces pressure for local tax and fee increases that become necessary when
the State redirects local funds.
The full text of the ballot measure can be found at:
http: / /www.savelocalservices. co m /sites/defauf/files/ fact %20sheets /Lono %2OVersion. pdf
Environmental Review:
The City Council's approval of this item does not require an environmental review.
Public Notice:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of
the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
Funding Availability:
City funding is not required by this action.
Prepared by:
Glen Everroad
Revenue Manager by QD
Attachments: Proposed Resolution
Submitted by:
Dennis C. Danner
Administrative Services Director
RESOLUTION NO. 2009-
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH 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.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Newport Beach resolves as
follows:
Section 1: The City of Newport Beach formally endorses the Local Taxpayer, Public
Safety and Transportation Protection Act of 2010, a proposed constitutional amendment.
Section 2: The City Council hereby authorizes the listing of the City of Newport Beach in
support of the Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Protection Act of 2010
and instructs staff to fax a copy of this resolution to campaign offices at 916.442.3510.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Newport Beach at the regular
meeting held on the 24th"' day of November, 2009.
MAYOR
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK