HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESO 5912·"'•
• .ORIGINAL
RESOLUTION NO. 5912
RESOLOTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE e1TY OF PALO ALTO
REGARDING STATE OF CALIFORNIA PRIORITIZATION OF
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
WHEREAS1 the Governor of California has submittied a proposed
1981-82 State Budget to the Legislature which would sharply reduce
revenues to cities of this State and change the distribution of prop-
erty taxes now supporting city governments in California; and
WHEREAS, the Governor's Budget proposal maintains State programs
through caseload and workload increases, price adjustments, merit
salary increases and partial costs of living increases, and provides
new spending for prisons, pesticides, toxic materials, earthquake
readiness, and conservation and economic investments while reducing
revenues to local governments which will necessitate major program
cuts in basic city services; and
WHEREAS, the Governor's Budget proposal shifts $400 million in
property tax away from cities and counties to fund State programs
clearly in contravention of the philosophy that property tax should
be used for property-related purposes, such as police, fire, and
street maintenance; and
WHEREAS, the Governor's Budget proposes to use $250 million
shifted from city and county revenues to restore tne monetary reserve
of the State Government while cities are losing reserves and reducing
basic services, such as police~ fire, street maintenance, park main-
tenance, and street lighting to meet revenue reductions; and
WHEREAS, Proposition 13 has remov~d almost all r.eve~ue-ra1s1n9
authority from city councils and placed the financing of city govern-
ment largely in the bands of the State of California;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Al to does
RESOLVE as follows:
SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Palo Alto hereby op-
poses the Governor's proposed 1981-82 Budget as totally inade<:uate in
addressing the service needs cf this City, Santa Clara County, the
School District serving the children of this City, and special dis-
tricts providing. services to residents of this City.
SECTION 2. The City Council of the City of Palo Alto requests
the Stat~ Legislature take immediate ~teps to develop a 1981-82 Bud-
get that "'~ ll pr~~:-~de the following:
a. Design the cuts in revenues so as to leave most states and
local agencies with the same approximate unrestricted reve-
nue growth in 1981-82.
b. Eliminate the deflator mechanism of AB 8 (1979) which bas
proven totally unworkable and oppose any new government
f inancin9 measure which contains a •aeflator• mechaniSJI
permitting local funding to be withdrawn ~ithout a vote of
the Leqislature.
c. Retain property tax as a local government revenue because
local government services are property rel~ted.
d. Utilize a more equitable method than the Governor's Budget
for•.ula now contained in AB 251 which is based on the
amount of bail-out assistance received under AB 8 to allo-
cate reductions in revenues to local govermaent agencies in
1981-82.
e. Return the unsecured property tax colleeted in Santa Clara
County to the respective jurisdictions in the same propor-
tions as the jurisdictions generated such tax~s.
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Deputy
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f. Eliminate the Governor's $120 million law enforcement and
crime prevention initiative. The initiative redirects
money away from law enforcement in local agencies at a time
when the withdrawal of such money will cause a reduction in
local law enforcement programs.
SF.CTION 3. The City Clerk is hereby directed to send copies of
this resoiution to the Governor of California, to the State Legisla-
tors representing the people of this City, and the League of Calif-
ornia Cities.
SECTION 4. The Council of the City of Palo Alto finds that this
is not a proJect and, therefore, no environmental assessment is ne-
cessary.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED: May 18, 1981
AYES: Bechtel, Byerly, Fazzino, Fletcher, Henderson, Klein, Levy,
Renzel, Witherspoon
NOES: None
ABSTENTIONS: None
ABSENT: None
APPROVED:
Mayor
APPROVED AS TO ?ORM;
Ci:ht£~n~
APPROVl'\ =-" ~ i. n--s --k =---cit aager
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