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<br />86/87/2888 18:32 <br /> <br />415-365-8981 <br /> <br />LAW DFC D SCHRICKER <br /> <br />PAGE 83 <br /> <br /> <br />J <br /> <br />'16- .3 <br /> <br />/' , League of California Cities <br /> <br />.- <br /> <br />J 1400 I<. Street, Suite .01). Sacram.nto. Ca/irom~ 95814 <br />Phone (916) 658-8200 Fax: (916) 658.8240 <br />¥NIW. cacities. erg <br /> <br />Supplemental <br /> <br />Legal Advocacy Committee Report <br />(Urgenr--Please Route to City Atto,.ney) <br /> <br />JUGf ZOOO <br /> <br />Cities Urged To Join Amicus Brief In <br />Sonoma CountylERAF Case <br /> <br />Ca.8 Summary <br />'~. <br /> <br />This IS a very jmpo'~11t casc relating to the Educational Revenue <br />Au&mcr.tation Fund (URAl") shin ofloelll.gcneies' propcl1y tax <br />rc;vCUUc.s to food cducation in the mid-1990s. <br /> <br />The countics contend. and the trial court agreed. that the BRAf <br />shi 1\ constiuucd Il"cirnbursablc state mandate within the meaning <br />ofthc Catifomia Constitution. Sell CaJ. COJ1lt. art. xmB. § 6 <br />(a"opted M part of Prcpositioo 4 in 1979). The tria) court found <br />that the shin :5 3.l'Cirnbursable mandate bCClWle it coülpcl1ed local <br />Rgcncics to ~ept únancillll.esponcibility for & previously state. <br />funded pro¡ram under Proposition 98. ~fI gÐltr'(Ú(Y Lucia Mal' <br />Unified School DJ ',iCl \I. Honig, 44 Cal. 3d 830. 244 Cat. Rptr. <br />671 (19gB) (finding shin in fuUt1ing fOf handicapped children's <br />cduç;¡uionl\1 exJ'C11sCl was a rcimbul1Bble manllate); County olSan <br />Diego \I. Slot' ofCallfo""tr. t~ Cal. 4th 68, 61 Cat Rptr. 2d 134 <br />(1997) (finding reduction ot funding for medically inåtSCI't adults <br />constiLuted a reimbursable mandate). <br /> <br />The stakes in this cue are high. Since itS inception, the ERAF <br />shift hu deprived local governments of more than $25 biUion. For <br />cities, tho l1l'.Qual value of this shift in \ 999 a1onc was $548 <br />million. The counties' telt claim uks for reimbursement bc¡i:uúng <br />with the 1996-97 fiscal year. <br /> <br />Given these 8taJ<esþ J1 ia not surprising that the Itate is appealing, <br />The atate's position is Ù\~1 Proposition 13 gives the stlte plenary <br />authority over loca) propeny tax revenues, Sf" Cat. ConcL at. <br />XTIm, § 1 (indicatins thAt property taxes man bç "apportioned <br />!CCordin$IO Jaw.") Interestingly, the Howard Janril Topayen <br />Associatlon bas requesTed lca~ to file 111 amiCIII brief arping thllt <br />Proposition 4's mandate provisions are a limil or. the state', <br />~rorc:ty tax allocation authority. HJT ^ notes the ERAF shin was <br />'exactly 1he kind of abuse of discretion that Propositiona 13 I1'Id ~ <br />were intended to provcnt. ,. <br /> <br />1'he counlics' bricfdoes an elfcctiwjob ofreviCWÍDg the <br />legislative hial.Ory-aJI of which shows the It8to made an CXpresl <br />effort to Ii'Jft pan o(Propolition 98', burden to ciâOl and COWUicl. <br />1ñe dr-cst nmtct.ls brierwitllù&h1ight \he irnportlDoo ofenforcin¡ <br />Prop~ition 4's .nandato reimbursement requirement, liven <br />California's longstanding constitutioul trAðiLion oCptcsorving <br />----_..:.... "'_u_.. _.~ "lOA 1.....1 f;.......... <br /> <br />Action R.qu..ted <br />Interested cities sl1ould contact the <br />brief writer about joininl this bl;cr <br />by June 12, 2000. The brief writer <br />is: <br /> <br />Leland Dolley <br />City Attorney, Alhambn <br />Burke, WiJliams & Sorenson, LLP <br />611 Wcst 6th Street, S\rite 2500 <br />Los Angeles, CA 900 1 ? <br />I 213/236-0600 <br />II Fax: 2131236-2700 <br />E.1Uail: Idolly@hwslaw.com <br /> <br />I An authorization fonn has been <br />. attached for cit¡~II' convc¡ùcnce. <br />I <br />ace.au. ofthi. cue's importanu, <br />information about this cue is also <br />being included in tho J...e38ue's <br />Legislative BulJeli" this Friday. City <br />aUomeys may rcc=ive inqlÚriea (roOt <br />city officials on WI cuc. A <br />supplcmentalletter \0 city attomc)'.J <br />from the brictwrrtcr will allo be <br />forthco."ina :in !hc mail. <br /> <br />Case RiJtory: City attorneys may <br />fecall that this eue wal the subject of <br />a request [or Iran,fer to the <br />California SupT8IM Court. &ø <br />ge1'lel'lJIJy CIl. It Cl. 27 oS. Letter <br />bricfs from lhe Lc&&ue (lVaiJable on <br />tho ulcgaladvoclO.t.' pago oCthe <br />"member .crviccs section of tho <br />League's Web .ite Cormembcra) and <br />otbaa luppoL"tOd \hi. feqUc:st. The <br />Courl. dcruccS the tnnlfer request iu <br />late April. <br /> <br />~~-~~! !IO!!.~~~ea ~fthc <br /> <br />.~._'"."""-"T . <br />