HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESO 9096Resolution No. 9096
Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto in Support of
Proposition 22, the Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation
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WHEREAS, California voters have repeatedly and overwhelmingly passed separate
ballot measures to stop State raids oflocal government funds, and to dedicate the taxes on gasoline
to fund local and state transportation improvement projects; and
WHEREAS, these local government funds are critical to provide the police and fire,
emergency response, parks, libraries, and other vital local services that residents rely upon every day,
and gas tax funds are vital to maintain and improve local streets and roads, to make road safety
improvements, relieve traffic congestion, and provide mass transit; and
WHEREAS, despite the fact that voters have repeatedly passed measures to prevent the
State from taking these revenues dedicated to funding local government services and transportation
improvement projects, the State Legislature has seized and borrowed billions of dollars in local
government and transportation funds in the past few years; and
WHEREAS, this year's borrowing and raids oflocal government, redevelopment and
transit funds, as well as previous, ongoing raids oflocal government and transportation funds have
lead to severe consequences, such as layoffs of police, fire and paramedic first .responders, fire
station closures, stalled economic· development, healthcare cutbacks, delays in road safety
improvements, public transit fare increases and cutbacks in public transit services; and
WHEREAS, State politicians in Sacramento have continued to ignore the will of the
voters, and current law provides no penalties when state politicians take or borrow these locally-
dedicated funds; and
WHEREAS, a coalition oflocal.government, transportation and transit advocates filed a
constitutional amendment with the California Attorney General, called the Local Taxpayer, Public
Safety, and Transportation Protection Act of2010, which will be on the November 2010 statewide
ballot as Proposition 22; and
WHEREAS, approval of this ballot initiative would close loopholes and change the
constitution to further prevent State politicians in Sacramento from seizing, diverting, shifting,
borrowing, transferring, suspending or otherwise taking or interfering with tax revenues dedicated to
funding local government services, including redevelopment, or dedicated to transportation
improvement projects and mass transit.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council ofthe City of Palo Alto does hereby RESOLVE
as follows:
SECTION 1. The City of Palo Alto fonnally endorses Proposition 22, the Local
Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Protection Act of 2010, a proposed constitutional.
amendment.
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