HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Resolution 04-012
RESOLUTION NO. 04-012
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA
SUPPORTING A STATEWIDE BALLOT INITIATIVE TO REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL BEFORE
STATE GOVERNMENT MAY TAKE LOCAL TAX FUNDS
WHEREAS, 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 resources
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 if the state's economic condition fails to improve; and
WHEREAS, the adopted state budget assumes an ongoing structural budget deficit of at least $8 billion,
putting city resources and services at risk 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 othe¡wise 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 102003 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.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SARA TOGA that the City 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 othe¡wise used to fund state
government operations and responsibilities; and
RESOLVED FURTHER, 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; and
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the residents of the City are encouraged to become well informed on the
initiative and its possible impacts on the critical local services on which they rely; and
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the city manager (or clerk) is hereby directed to send a copy to the
Executive Director of the League of California Cities.
The above and foregoing resolution was passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Saratoga City
Council held on the 4th day of February 2004 by the following vote:
AYES:
Councilmembers Stan Bogosian, Norman Kline, Nick Streit,
Vice Mayor Kathleen King, Mayor Ann Waltonsmith
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
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Ann Waltonsmith, Mayor
Ca