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<br />9A <br />Page 18 <br /> <br />Summit participants will: <br />. Hear from experts; <br />. Consider whether we need a constitutional convention; and <br />. Work with peers to create a plan for reform local governments need. <br /> <br />Details <br /> <br />Registration for the summit is $80 for elected and senior appointed city and county officials and <br />school board members. $120 for others. <br /> <br />Register online at www.cacities.ora/events. County officials should register through CSAC and <br />school board members through CSBA. <br /> <br />Hotel reservations can be made through Hyatt. Call (800) 233-1234 and ask for the special Local <br />Government Summit room block rate of $99 (reduced from $124) plus taxes for the night of July <br />17. <br /> <br />'HR1521' Continued from Page 1... <br /> <br />HR 1521 (Lofgren. O-CA) and S 1192 (O-OR) are two bills that purport to promote "fairness" and <br />seek to prohibit new state or local "discriminatory taxes" on the wireless industry. In effect, <br />however, both of these measures provide a special carve out exemption by imposing a five-year <br />moratorium on any new taxes on this industry. <br /> <br />Approximately 150 California cities currently impose local voter approved utility users taxes, <br />which typically apply to local utility services, which often include water, sewer, electricity and <br />telecommunication services. Collectively, these taxes provide $1.7 billion in revenue funding for <br />public safety and other critical local programs, of which about half comes from <br />telecommunications services. <br /> <br />While the bills are structured to preclude any new taxes on wireless services, they may be <br />interpreted to limit efforts of California cities to modernize their existing ordinances to keep pace <br />with changing technology. By limiting the options of any community that may be considering <br />adopting a local utility user's tax, the bills will compound the difficulties faced by California cities. <br /> <br />Mobile telecommunications is one of the fastest growing and successful industries in the world. If <br />the industry is successful in obtaining a carve-out from taxation. this could open the floodgates for <br />Congress to grant additional exemptions to other industries who will question why they have been <br />left out. <br /> <br />The League remains concerned that these bills are gaining momentum. Supported by the <br />influential telecommunications lobby, HR 1521 has already picked up 132 co-sponsors, and S <br />1192 has six. <br /> <br />In addition to Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the following members of the California Congressional delegation <br />are listed as co-sponsors of HR 1521: Rep. Lois Capps (0-23), Rep. Jim Costa (0-20), Rep. <br />Daniel Lungren (R-3), Rep. Doris Matsui (0-5), Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-22) Rep. Joe Baca (0- <br />43), Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-SO), Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-45), Rep. Dennis Cardoza (0-18), Rep. <br />Anna Eshoo (0-14), Rep. Darrelllssa (49), Rep. George Radanovich (R-19), Rep. Lucille Roybal- <br />Allard (0-34), Rep. Edward Royce (R-40), and Rep. Jackie Speier (0-12). <br /> <br />The League encourages cities to contact their congressional representative on these bills. <br /> <br />A sample HR 1521 opposition letter can be found on the League's Web site at: <br />htto:/J\NWW.cacities.ora/resource files/28166.0ooose HR 1521 Cell Tax Moratorium Bill <br />sample.doc. <br /> <br />A sample S 1192 opposition letter can also be found on the League's Web site at: <br /> <br />4 <br />