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&M3 VLF from page 1 .................. The action keeps faith with the 1998 bipartisan promise to protect funding for vital local public safety and other services. At this juncture, however, it is crucial for city officials to urge their legislators and the governor to maintain the continuous appropriation needed to keep city and county services funded during the VLF "gap ". the period of time between pulling of the VLF trigger, and when the new, higher levels of VLF revenues are available. "The VLF trigger has been pulled as provided by the 1998 VLF law, and the result is that funding for critical local police, fire, EMS and public health services will be protected," said League Executive Director Chris McKenzie. "This is good news for California cities and the citizens who rely on these vital services. "But the transition should be seamless. Our services should not suffer funding cutbacks during this critical 'gap' period." . ............................... governments. With a deficit of $38 billion and an estimated structural deficit of $8 billion, it is difficult to see how the state could meet this requirement without severe cuts to education and other importtmt pro- grams. City officials should continue to talk to your legislators about the VLF. Emphasize the importance of maintaining the backfill during the "gap" period — before the higher, restored fees are available. Key points: Pulling the VLF Trigger Keeps Part of the Com- mitment. The VLF trigger has been pulled as provided by the 1998 VLF law. The action taken today by opera- tion of law is consistent with the commitment made in the 1998 law and it helps protect essential local services like police, fire, EMS and public health. "We now call on state leaders to keep the VLF backfill promise they made in 1998 to keep local services funded, by maintaining the continuous appropriation for the VLF backfill until the restored funds are available," said League President and Oakland City Attorney John Russo. "The state promised to keep these services whole. We urge legislators and the governor to keep the whole promise on VLF, by maintaining the continu- ous appropriation we need to fund services." Legal Challenge Expected, and an Initiative The restoration of the fees will almost certainly be challenged in court. Assembly Member John Campbell released a Legislative Counsel opinion which concluded that the state controller alone is responsible for determining when to increase the vehicle license fee (VLF), and that the fee could vary each month with fluctuations in the state's fiscal status. This approach contradicts the joint legal opinion issued two months ago by attorneys for the Department of Finance and the State Controller. Senator Tom McClintock kept his promise this afternoon by filing an intiative with the Attorney General for title and summary. His proposal is to repeal the VLF and require the state to backfill local PAGE B /PRIORITY FOCUS It Is Important To Keep The Whole Commitment. Now that the VLF trigger has been pulled, it is essential that the legislature and the governor ensure that the transition to the restored VLF levels is seamless by continuing the VLF backfill to maintain essential public safety and other local services. Public Safety Will Be At Risk If Backfill Is Ended. If the state fails to continue the VLF backfill, critical public safety services and other local services will be risk. The state should not threaten these essential services by failing to keep all of the VLF promise. State Leaders Should Keep the VLF Promise. We call on state leaders to keep the VLF backfill promise they made in 1998 to keep local services fully funded by maintaining the continuous appropriation for the VLF backfill until the restored funds are available. Anything less would break the 1998 prom- ise. See also "State Budget Politics Heating Up" article. Visit the League's Official Web Site-- www.cacities.org