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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso No. 1990-544 - State Budget Actions and Urging Repeal of SB2557 RESOLUTION NO. 41/2-414 A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDDING RELATING TO STATE BUDGET ACTIONS AND URGING REPEAL OF SB2557 WHEREAS, after the longest budget stalemate in California's history, the Governor and California Legislature finally enacted a 1990/91 budget package that shifts state and county costs to cities, and diverts city revenues to finance state/county responsibilities, and WHEREAS, counties are an administrative arm of the state with responsibilities for carrying out state programs, while cities are in a different business of providing local municipal services which are determined locally and have no responsibility or authority for administering state or county programs; and WHEREAS, the Governor and California Legislature have shifted state and county financial responsibilities to cities; and WHEREAS, all 457 cities in California balanced their budgets only to find their budgets were subsequently thrown out of balance by cost shifts and revenue losses designed to balance the budget of the state; and WHEREAS, the actions in the State budget package were enacted by passage of SB2557, which ( 1) directed counties to charge cities, school districts and special districts for the county function of administering the property tax; (2) authorized counties to charge cities for booking prisoners arrested by city employees; and ( 3 ) allowed counties to retain property tax revenues that should other- wise go to 90 "No and Low Tax Cities" ; and WHEREAS, these shifts of city revenues to counties were spe- cifically enacted to replace cuts in state revenue for counties that should have funded state responsibilities carried out by counties; and WHEREAS, the Governor and California Legislature have avoided their financial responsibilities by enacting measures that are poor public policy, which rob from one local government to finance another, and result in no real solution to the continuing financial problems facing all levels of government in California; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Redding that the City of Redding supports the repeal of SB2557 and the protection of cities from the state budget process; and supports alternatives that will provide adequate long-term funding for both cities and counties. CA t • v •CI)j • I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was introduced and read at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Redding on the 6th day of November , 1990, and was duly adopted at said meeting by the following vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Arness, Dahl , Moss & Buffum NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Fulton ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None d/Aac CY : 1 , yor ity .f Redding ATTEST:S �n( ETHEL LgA. NICHOLS,% Clerk FORM APPROVED: PPS g4e L A. HAY , ty Attorney -2- CITY O/F�1\r"OF �g/� 'ITEM ND. REPORT TO CI Y Y COUNCIL MEETING DATE APPROVED BY . DEPARTMENT OIREOTOR Date October 30, 1990 GTT MANAGER L-040-300 From City Manager Subject Recommendation for Resolution Urging Repeal of SB2557 Background As Council is well aware, the State Legislature, in the closing hours of its last session, enacted SB2557 which had the effect of requiring California' s cities to help finance the state budget. This was done by withdrawing funding from counties and then permit- ting them to substitute for that lost revenue billings to cities for prisoner booking and property tax administration. This bill was enacted several weeks beyond the constitutionally-mandated deadline for the state budget and, as such, imbalanced every city budget in the state. The effect of the bill, however, is still unknown in that the bill is effective January 1, 1991, but is retroactive to July 1, 1990. Counties are still in the process of devising formu- las to implement this bill, and presumably no one will receive a bill until after January 1, 1991. The farther into the fiscal year this budgetary impact is deferred, the more difficult it will be to make cuts sufficient to pay these prospective bills. As you know, we have registered our concerns with Shasta County in two letters, urging that every consideration be given to the total situation. In the meantime, the League of California Cities and the County Supervisors Association of California have united in an effort to secure repeal of SB2557 and to otherwise improve local government relationships with the state. In fact, the League of California Cities Board of Directors and the CSAC Board of Directors met in a rare, if not only, joint session a couple of weeks ago in order to present a united front on this matter. Cities are taking a variety of actions aimed at securing some relief from this extraordinary action by the state. The Issue Should the Redding City Council take a formal position requesting repeal of SB2557 and convey that action to our legislative repre- sentatives? Alternatives Available to Council; Implications of Alternatives Fundamentally, Council can either enact such a resolution, express- ing its opposition to this high-handed action by the state, or decline to do so. Taking a strong position will assist the League Honorable Mayor and City Council Page 2 of California Cities in securing relief from this measure. Failure to take a strong position will probably be interpreted by the state as lack of unity of purpose on the part of cities and counties. Conclusions and Recommendations I respectfully recommend that Council enact the attached resolution and direct that a copy be sent to the City' s legislative represen- tatives in Sacramento, to the League of California Cities, and any other parties that may have an interest in the matter. rmc/ga a:cnc1302.rmc Attachment