HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - November 4, 2009 C-03aAGENDA ITEM 4cw 3&
&-% CITY OF LODI
COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
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AGENDA TITLE: Presentation by Stephen Qualls, League of California Cities, Central Division
Representative
MEETING DATE: November4,2009
PREPARED BY: City Clerk
RECOMMENDED ACTION: None.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Stephen Qualls, Central Valley Division representative of the
League of California Cities, requested an opportunity to come and
present the golf tournament trophy from the League-CitiPac
fundraiser to the City of Lodi and the presentation was agendized
accordingly. Mr. Qualls will also be providing an update on the
League's recent ballot initiative efforts.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
FUNDING AVAILABLE: None.
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APPROVED:
Blair King, City-Mahager
council/councom/Presentation2.doc v
I� Californians to 1177,47,
* PROTECT
�H
LOCA L
Taxpayers & V'�tal Services�'y'
www.savelocalservices.com
YES to Protect Local Taxpayers and
Funding for Public Safety, Transportation &
Other Vital Local Services from State Raids
1-1 YES! You may list me/my organization as a public supporter of The Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation
ProtectionAct, an initiative aimed for the November 2010 ballotthat would protec tfunding for public safety, transportation & other
vital local services. The measurewould pmventthe Legislatureand Governorfrom bomowing,taldng or otherwise redirectinglocal
government, public transit and transportation funds.
Please select a category: ❑ Organization ❑ Company ❑ Individual
Please complete the following information:
Company or Organization Name/Employer
Name Title/Occupation
Street address
City State Zip County
Phone number Fax number
E-mail Address (If you are a public employee, please do not use your government e-mail address. Use your
personal e-mail address, like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.)
Signature (Required) Date
❑ Pleaseemail me,updates.
IlMe can help in the following ways:
❑ Help collect signatures ❑ Write a letter -to -the editor
❑ Help raise money ❑ Place a link on a website
❑ Volunteer/Speak at local events ❑ Distribute materials
❑ Communicate with employees/members
Email or fax this form to: INFO@XXXXXXX or 916-442-3510 (fax)
Californians toI
* PROTECT
LOCAL A6dL
Taxpayers & Vital Services
100/100 PLEDGE
I PLEDGE TO SUPPORT PROTECTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TRANSPORTATION
FUNDING FROM THE GRIPS OF THE STATE —
TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES ONCE AND FOR ALL
WHEREAS, the legislature and governor have taken or borrowed nearly $5 billion in city,
county, transit and transportation funds to finance the state budgetthis year; and
WHEREAS, the board of directors of the League of California Cities, in partnership with
the California Alliance for Jobs, the California Transit Association, and many other
organizations, is currently evaluating the financial and political feasibility of co -sponsoring a
November 2010 ballot measure to provide constitutional protectionsto cities against legislative
raids and loans of revenues historically allocated to local government, mass transit,
redevelopment and transportation; and
WHEREAS, the voters of the state have indicated their strong desire to further protect
local and transportation revenues from state interference and manipulation; and
WHEREAS, I am a city official who strongly supports asking the voters to provide further
constitutional protections against state raids, loans or diversions of local government and
transportation revenues.
NOW, THEREFORE, I PLEDGE to fully support the efforts of the League and other
organizationsto consider launching a campaign to secure signatures to place a local
government and transportation revenue protection measure on the November, 2010 ballot, and
pledge to do the following in support of this effort in my private capacity without the use of public
facilities, equipment or materials.
❑ Make the 100/100 pledge. I will contribute or raise a minimum of $100 and gather a
minimum of 100 signatures on the petitions to qualify a ballot measure to protect local
revenues from state diversion or loans.
want to do more. My goal is signatures and dollars.
❑ Host a Community Forum. I will host or co -host a Community Forum/Town Hall
Meeting to help inform the public about the impacts on city services of state raids of my
city's funds to help educate the public about the need for reform.
❑ Recruit Volunteers to Help. LAE identify and recruit a minimum of 10 individuals and/or
organizationsto assist with volunteer signature gathering efforts.
❑ Sign up to receive campaign updates and information about actions you can take to
help qualify the local revenue protection measure for the November 2010 ballot from
your regional manager.
PLEASE DELIVER TO YOUR REGIONAL MANAGER, OR SEND TO AMY O'GORMAN AT
aoeormankeacities.org/ FAX (916) 658.8240/ 1400 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
No public funds were used for this communication.
Californians to
*'LOCAL H.
LOCAL
aTaxpayers & Vital Services
100/100 PLEDGE
Please provide your personal (non -city) contact information below
[i.e. personal cell phone, private email account (yahoo, gmail), home mailing address]
Name:
Occupation:
Employer: _
Title:
City:
Phone:
Email Address:
Mailing Address:
CITIPAC Contribution:
Division:
Included is my check to CITIPAC in the amount of:
❑ $100 ❑ $250 ❑ $500
hereby authorize CITIPAC to debit my credit card in the amount of:
❑ Other
❑ $100 ❑ $250 ❑ $500 ❑ Other
Credit Card # - - - Exp. Date. -
Authorized Signature:
* Contributions to CITIPAC are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.
IN 1254399
League of California Cities- CITIPAC- 1400 K Street, 4th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814- citipac.org
The League will use your personal information only to communicate with you regarding the campaign to
save and preserve local government revenues. The League will not share your personal information with
third parties.
PLEASE DELIVER TO YOUR REGIONAL MANAGER, OR SEND TO AMY O'GORMAN AT
aoPorman(n cacities.ord FAX (916) 658-8240/ 1400 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
No public funds were used for this communication.
Californians to
,LOCALU
l Taxpayers & Yital Services
www.savelocalservices.com
Questions Answers About
Local Taxpayer and Vital Services
Protection
WHAT IS YOUR MEASURE AND WHAT DOES IT PROPOSE TO DO?
The Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation ProtectionAct is a constitutional amendmentthat we are
working to place on California's November 2010 statewide ballot. The initiativewould stop the State from raiding or
borrowing funding for local public safety, transportation, transit and other essential local government services.
Specifically, the measure would:
✓ Prohibitthe State from taking, borrowing orredirecting local taxpayer funds dedicated to public safety,
emergency responseand othervital local government services. The measurewould close loopholesto
preventthe 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 govemment property tax funds.
✓ Protectvital, dedicated transportation and public transit funds from State raids. The measurewould
preventState 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 dedicatedto transportation maintenance and
improvements. Itwould also preventthe 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.
WHY IS IT NEEDED?
Unfortunately, the State has continued its irresponsible practiceof taking and borrowing local taxpayer dollars and
dedicated transportation funds. The 2009110 state budget borrows and takes approximately $5 billion in city,
county, transit, redevelopment and special district funds this year despite the fact that voters have overwhelmingly
passed ballot measures to keep local funding at the local level to provide essential local services. This year's raids
and previous, ongoing state raids and borrowingjeopardize the services Californians need most, including police,
fire and emergency 911 services; local economic developmentand redevelopment; mass transit like buses and
commuter rail; and transportation improvements like road repairs and congestion relief. We need to pass this
measure to protectthese vital local services from State raids and borrowing.
ISN'T FUNDING FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTAND TRANSPORTATION ALREADY PROTECTED FROM
STATE RAIDS?
California voters have overwhelmingly passed separate measures to preventthe State from raiding local
government and transportation funds. However, each and every year the State attempts to take or borrow local
government, transportation and transit funding using loopholes, or illegal funding diversions that have only been
stopped after expensive and lengthy court battles. This year alone, the Legislature:
• Borrowed approximately $2 billion in property taxes from local governments, despite no clear path to repay
these funds.
Paid for by Califomiansto Protect Local Taxpayers and Vital Services, a coalition of taxpayers, public safety, local
government, transportation, business and labor. 1121 L Street, #803 -Sacramento, CA 95814
• Took $2.05 billion in local redevelopmentfunds, despite a recent Superior Court ruling that says these
types of raids are unconstitutional.
• Shifted $910 million in transit funding away from local transit agencies. The courts have since ruled these
types of raids are unconstitutional.
• Voted to take more than $1 billion of the local government share of the Highway User Tax (HUTA) to repay
state bond debt (but the measure stalled in Assembly). These are funds that have always been used to
finance local road repairs and maintenance.
• Took action to eliminatethe state sales taxon gasoline (Prop 42 funds) and HUTA and replacewith a
gasoline "fee" that would have no constitutional protection from future raids by the legislature (the Governor
ultimately vetoed this measure).
• Threatened to borrow Prop42 transportation funds to address the State's deficit.
Our measurewould close loopholes in current law that the legislature has exploited to take or divert local funds.
And it would tighten sections of the law to prevent illegal State funding raids of local government and transportation
funds beforethey happen.
WHY DOES YOUR MEASURE PREVENT THE STATE FROM BORROWING LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND
TRANSPORTATION FUNDS?
The local government revenue protection measure in 2004 (Prop IA) and the transportation revenue protection
measure in 2006 (Prop I A) included provisions that allow the Stateto borrowthese funds during fiscal
emergencies. However, after several budget cycles it is clear that these borrowing provisions are not only bad for
local governments and transportation services, but fiscally irresponsible for the State. Borrowing these dedicated
funds only plunges our state deeper into debt because the funds must to be repaid, with interest within three years.
The borrowingwas meantto provide an outlet in short-term budget emergencies, but its instead being used to
paper over structural budget problems. For example, the State has no clear way to pay back the $2 billion plus
interest in local property taxes that the State is borrowing as part of this year's 2009-2010 State budget, yet
lawmakers borrowed these funds anyway.
What's more, because the State has the authority to borrow local government and transportation funds, it creates
mass uncertaintyfor cities and counties who need to plan and pass their local budgets, and for transportation and
transit planners who aren't sure if they can rely on these revenues in any given year.
DOES THIS MEASURE INCREASE OR DECREASE REVENUES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OR FOR
TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT?
This measure does not increase or decrease the existing revenues that are dedicated to local government,
transportation and transit funds. I simply prevents the State from borrowing or raiding oa linglocalgovernment,
transportation and transit revenues that voters have dedicated to these services.
WON'T THIS MAKE OUR STATE'S BUDGET SYSTEM EVEN WORSE BY FURTHER PUTTING A LOCK BOX
ON BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FUNDING?
First, these are revenues that have historically been dedicated to cities, counties and special districts to fund local
government services. Ifs fiscally irresponsiblefor State Government to raid funds from local governments.
Second, its important to rememberthat these are funds that voters have ALREADY dedicated to local government,
transportation and transit services. We are not dedicating any NEW funding for these services, but instead ensuring
Paid for by Califomiansto Protect Local Taxpayers and Vital Services, a coalition of taxpayers, public safety, local
government, transportation, business and labor. 1121 L Street, #803 —Sacramento, CA 95814
FAM Californians to ;,,. Stopping State Raids O LocalGovernment
PROTECT
LO M and Transportation Funds is Good for
Taxpayers & Baal Services Business and California's Economy
www.savelocalservices.com
HE PR( EM: STATE RAIDS AND IG OF :At GOVERNMENT AND
AI ISPORTATION FUNI HURT OUR ECONOMY AND BUSINESS '3
},j ..�LM0 11 O n..nn. 110111 inni.• n.�c�neui M ballot
}o ......t "fa L_— a_l __
alrfomra 4�iLc{.71{C", UYG{w{{Gtllf{I ful �,.,: separate �alFlit measures W FJiGiGf ll YIG 4 f(�rrf ��� local
government, t a r W 1 lespite this, I , SW2 III passed a budget that Morrows and takes
p r o x $5 billion in y iy, transit, f 1 1 i funds this y and the l continues
to U tE i to borrow or tak2 billko{ tJ rk transportation funds every year. The borrowing and raiding of local government
and ba iTmtatiaifunds 1 our i iy and business climate:
X Raidingand� _ venmxvm hurts ffteservices businesses rely 1, a
d pri flT local fees "'d Lamm. on Jot bu ! 3 ; ocal nnvPmmPntF p„u.{-. =-'a_ 'U
�{{0 services and
infrastructure that are critical for local economic growth and a healthy w n;
F11 Callifomians to
PROT"YES t0 Protect Local Public Safety
* �
LOCAL Funding from State Raids
LfThMers & ft Services
www.savelocalservices.com
THE PROBLEM: STATE RAIDS AND BORROWING JEOPARDIZE LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE
PROTECTION, EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND OTHER VITAL PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES.
Cities, counties and special districts provide the vast majority of law enforcement, fire protection, emergency response
and publicsafety services in California. In fact, on average, 65% of city discretionary budgetsgo to fund police and fie
programs and services and more than half of county discretionary budgets go to fund law enforcement, emergency
medical and public health programs and services. ThaCs why Califomiavoters have overwhelmingly voted to stop State
raids of local govemment funds —to protect funding for vital public safetyservices. Despitethis, the State has used
loopholes and abused other provisions i n the law to take local funds. to fact, just this year the State passed a budget that
borrows and takes billions of dollars in local aoverriment revenues. This years borrowing and previous, ongoing State
raids of local funds, jeopardize public safety �vicesthroughout the state and could mean:
X Fewer Police officers and sheriffs on the street
X Fewer firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical personnel
X Longer response times
X Longer waits for 911 calls
X Reduced traffic enforcement
THE SOLUTION: PROHIBIT THE STATE FROM RAIDING OR BORROWING LOCAL
GOVERNMENT FUNDSVITAL TO PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES.
The Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Protection Act scheduled for the November2010 st AwAde ballot, would:
✓ Prohibit the State from taking borrowing or redirecting local taxl2MMr funds dedicated to public safety,
elrreEge r response grit �tharvital meat t nriCes. The tightly -written measure would dose
loopholes to preventthe taking of local taxpayer funds currently dedicated to cities, counties, special districts and
redevelopmentagenaes. It would also revokethe State's authorityto borrow local government property taxfunds.
✓ Protect vital, deftated transportation and public transit funds from state raids. The measure would prevent
Saheborrawtng, taking o: redirecting of the state sales tax on gasoline (Prop 42 funds) and Highway User Tax on
gasoline (HUTA) funds that are dedicated to transportation maintenance and improvements, inchxfing mad saf y
repairs. The measure would also prevent the State from redirecting or taldrig public transit funds.
✓ Reform state government and enhance fiscal accountability. This measure is a trey sbap n reforming Califomia's
broken budgetsystem by restoring more localcontrol and accountability. it also stops the irresponsible practice of
the Sbabeborrowing special funds that have to be repaid with interest, which only puts our SbAefurlher in debt
Paid for by Califomiansto Protect Local Taxpayers and Vital Services, a coahiion of taxpayers, public safely local government, transportation,
business and labor, with major funding from the League of California Cities (non-public funds) 11121 L Street, #803 — Sacramento, C4 95814
THE PROBLEM[: STATE RAn AND BORROWING ARE RING TRANSPORTATION AND
TRANS[ r 1E S AI FUND THE Sl ATE.
California voters have I i and overwhelmingly P --mad t ) measures to dedicate the gas taxes we- fr q
at the I to t ' and transit improvement like R ty 1 3IK ti of retie€, I
111aintaining and Aman ding mass transit. Des itethis in the past «• eat. ark-mle the at is i ) of
dollars in public transit i and has threatened to borrow or oiEtright take billions of dollars in I t2 and
HU N gas tax funds 0 are supposed to hu -1 -Hud uan-;� -fida— on and transit improvements State raids and borrowing
of these funds (eopardize vital transportatrr . and transit proects up and dowry the state, including:
X zc a 04
X ' WAV { aF NI{J4/N% 1VW Y7wamps/ fob
UU,er PLY=430 to kaep 11RIS iii I OWW.
X 'i.."Ou jii cis T
, stoplight a).,u.e tr.r caut"R and poftle repairs
X Public transit likebus, cornet o f hi uA! : n fa t i r cumi 71Pin, 4 s while
fares are ben ra
TH L r[ON: PROHIBIT TI STATE FR( IE )R BORROWING UNDS THAT V(
HI TED TO TRANSPORTATION AND RANSH IMPROVEMENTS.
The ocal Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Protection Act aimed for the November 2010 statewide ballot,would:
slnrtinntmi to tranrnnrtitenn
✓ Prohibit the to from to-kinn, horcow-nn cu a funds that are./�/.......e.4 to hmm../........... .. and
it w he measure would prevent State borrow q, rig a- :li
gasoline (Prop 42 j and Highway User Ti on gasoline (Ht TA) funds that are dedicated to
transportation maintenance and improvements. It would also prevent the State from redirecting or caking
it publicti wr�.�.
✓ Prohibit the State from w . bwjowynia or redirectina lociit_Wyernment funds. I 'I i to
preventing State raids of transportation i transit li the measure would dJr % lmnhc and A th
r[ of city, l and special distdctfunds, Iii revoking t State's authorityta borrow k)cal
_a.A—.
prom LY odes.
✓ I roux lobs aqui our economy. Every $1 billion invested in 3 : I u, generates $5 billion in economic
activity and 18,000 jobs. By preserving a reliable, source of th l Iftin— transportation and transit
improvements, this measurewill I create jobs d irr ro, our 9 economy.
Protect r I by keeping more of '%Fu%:r local (dollars local where there's .'�—,- a^..r ountabi#ty I
votem, and t eriSii111KJ once and for all u at viir gay WACO �o to �w'�iu HISP0 10 1 arM1 transit iri7prl!':er'.:ar:w
as the voters have mandated on more than one E Tt measure alsi . pre for local tax
and fee increases that become necessary w �,n the state redirects focal government i
✓ Rii tt oovernment and enhance i, : r I abill ty chis measure is a key step in reforming
California's broken budget n by ii i cal control and r r 't me as u E r I
the irresponsible practiceof St borro special funds I have to be F with b which ly puts
our Sbatefurfher in I
Pain for by Californians to Protect Local Taxpayersand Vital Services, a coalition of taxpayers, public safety, local government, bmsportaation,
business and labor,with major funding from the League ofCalifornia Cities (non-pubtic funds)
1121 L Street, #803 -Sacramento, CA 9914