AgdaPkt 2003-04-07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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BUDGET UPDATE from page 5" • " • " • " • " focus members' attention and work effort, the Assembly has cancelled all policy committee hearings, other than budget - related hearings, the week of March 24th. The Senate leadership has indicated that although they will continue to hold informational hearings on budget proposals, they don't intend to take actions on budget items until April. May 14 is the next key deadline. This is the date by which the Governor is required to submit his "May revise" to the budget. Why is this so critical? There are two reasons this year. First, the May revise will take into account the most up to date revenue estimates, reflecting the April income tax receipts. Because the original budget proposals are based on estimates developed in December of the prior year, the May revise is widely regarded as the most accurate reflection of California's fiscal status available. Second, the May revise has been cited as one of the key factors that could enable the VLF "trigger" to be pulled. According to the legal opinion provided to both the State Controller and the Department of Finance, the state's budget position as reflected in the May revise can be used, along with the state's cash position, to determine if there are "insufficient monies" as a precursor to pulling the VLF "trigger". Local government officials will be tracking the situation closely as it unfolds. Beginning May 14th, the budget debate will intensify as members work to meet the constitu- tional deadline of passing a budget by June 15 League members should be ready to quickly respond to requests for help during this period on, perhaps many times over as the situation is bound to be fluid, and proposals could change daily. If you'd like to be contacted as an advocate on key budget issues during this time, let your re- gional representative know. You'll find information on who your regional representative is at www. cacities.orq /grassrootsadvocacv DIVISIONS frompagel" ••• " "• " " "• " "" The program has already received lots of use by Council Members from throughout the division when meeting with their city's activist organiza- tions. Included with the presentation is a brief video tape reviewing the efforts and impacts the League's grassroots network has had to date. This sets the tone for encouraging increased citizen involvement to further enhance the League's advocacy efforts. "Call to Action 2003" specifically outlines the key areas of local govern- ment services that are vulnerable to a potential state grab of money, and how organizations and citizens can join their local team of leaders to protect these crucial funds they depend on for their local services. "Call to Action 2003 ", the grassroots video tape, and a script are available for use by city's across the state. Your regional representative can make themselves available to assist Council Members in these community presentations, providing up to the minute updates on the state- wide view, in conjunction with the Council Mem- bers local updates (the presentation is easily customizable for your city's specific impacts). Response to the presentation has been overwhelmingly positive and is producing additional grassroots supporters. These addi- tional team members are kept informed through e- mail Action Alerts and are helpful in mobilizing their organization's membership in writing letters, making legislative phone calls or attending area rallies and Legislative Day activities. This, in turn, attracts the Legislative and media attention to the needs of our vital programs and services closest to the residents. To view a copy of the "Call to Action — 2003" presentation, and find out who your regional representative is, go to www.cacities.org grassroots and select the link to your Division. PAGE 6 /PRIORITY FOCUS Visit the League's Official Web Site -- www.cacities.org