Crushing Blow to Local Jobs and California's Economy
By Paul McIntosh, Executive Director
pmcintosh@counties.org
The Budget Conference Committee took action yesterday to raid local transportation revenues with devastating consequences for job loss and economic recovery in the state. The action would “take” $986 million of the local share of the gas tax from the Highway User Tax Account (HUTA) to pay for general fund bond debt service in Fiscal Year 2009-10. The Conference Committee also took action to redirect $745 million of the local share in Fiscal Year 2010-11. To be clear – this action does not include paying back these monies to cities and counties. Further, there is a shared concern with the cities that this will result in a permanent loss of this local portion of the gas tax.
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Officers Meet with Governor, Urge Administration to Engage Counties in Budget Process
CSAC President Gary Wyatt of Imperial County, First Vice President Tony Oliveira of Kings County, and Second Vice President John Tavaglione of Riverside County spent time with Governor Schwarzenegger on Wednesday, June 10, urging his Administration and the Legislature to find state budget solutions that minimize the impact to the residents. They emphasized that counties need to be a part of the solution, not part of the problem.
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Administration of Justice
The Budget Conference Committee continues to meet to develop a comprehensive proposal to address the $24 billion+ deficit in the 2009-10 budget as enacted in February 2009.
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Agriculture and Natural Resources
SCA 18, by Senator Carol Liu, would provide cities and counties the opportunity to create an additional resource to fund stormwater and urban runoff management programs mandated by the Clean Water Act.
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Employee Relations
SB 752, by Senator Pat Wiggins, would require that before counties contracting with the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) issue a pension obligation bond, a trial court located within such a county and the county must jointly approve and submit to the PERS board of administration the following:
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Government Finance and Operations
SCA 12, by Senator Christine Kehoe, would reduce the voting threshold for property taxes, special taxes, or general obligation bonds that would pay for local public safety services or related facilities or equipment from two-thirds to 55%.
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Health and Human Services
The Budget Conference Committee referred a number of proposed state department consolidations and reorganizations to policy committees for discussion. Senate Human Services and Health Committees met this week to discuss a number of proposals.
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Housing, Land Use and Transportation
AB 561, by Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter, would expand the definition of "highway worker" to include a contractor while under contract with the California Department of Transportation or a city or county employee who performs maintenance, repair, or construction of highways or local streets and road infrastructure for the purpose of enhanced penalties for assault or battery upon a "highway worker."
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