AgdaPkt 2004-05-24 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

�.A-(� BUDGETfrom pagel ............................................... League President and Riverside Mayor Ron officials and the wak ihey had done through ihe Loveridge opened the session by first presenting an LOCAL coalition, Russo deGared, 'We are united, award W Council Member Betty Putnam of Santa Fe and the legislature knows it' Spring: for her tremendous individual eBort in the sign,jture gathering Russo outlined the advanWges of the package drive .or the LOCAL worked out wilh the Govemor as °certainty in what the initiative. Putnam cuts will be, better mandate protection, and a berier single-handedly chance of winning in Novembe�'. amassed over 1,700 signatures. In her Govemor Schwarzenegger had proposed the remarks Putnam package on April 16 in a conference call with the expressed her League Executive Committee. The call qme the enthusiasm for the same day that the League and its local govemment {�� LOCAL Initiative and partners filed over 1.1 million signatures with county '�= ' the altemative registrars to place an initiative on the November 2004 ``��'�- .�� constitutlonai mea- ballot that would strengthen constituu6onal protections sure that the League for local revenues. and its LOCAL partners had The budget portion of the package will mean that Santa Fe Springs negofiated with the Councilmember Betty Putnam is 90v2�no�. reeognized for gathering over 1,700 signatures to qualify the �e nC2d to go � LOCAL initiative. forward," she urged the delegates, stating that a partnership with the govemor is the "be�st possible thing" for cities and local govemment. Loveridge framed the issue before the General Assembly, calling it an historic opportunity that was created by the hard work of hundreds of city officials throughout the state working in coalition with their local government partners and dozens of other organizations through the LOCAL coalition. . League President Ron Loveridge addresses "This budget package contains cuts that will be theGeneralAssembly. deeply painful for cities and our local govemment local govemments will lose two years of revenues partners. But the board believes that the package will totaling $1.3 billion for each year ($350 million from help us achieve our number one goal: a constitutional citles, $350 million from counties, $350 miliion from amendment that would end the practice of state raids special districts and $250 million from redevelopment on local funds," said Ron Loveridge, Mayor of the City agencies). What they gain is Governor of Riverside and President of the League. "We also Schwa2eneggers commitment that he will work with believe that the govemors commitment to work with local govemment officials for passage by the legisla- us to help pass a constitutional protedion measure ture and the voters of an altemative constitutional will be a critical advantage for our campaign." measure that wouid prevent any further state takeaways of local revenues needed to fund police, The motion to approve a resolution ratifying the fire, heaith and weHare and other essential local Board's prior approval of the two-part strategy, services. including the budgeUwnstitutional protection pack- age, was made by League Immediate Past President Additionally, the padcage would constdutionally John Russo, City Attomey for Oakland. Praising city guarantee repayment of the VLF Bac�ll Loan of FY Continued on Page 3 PAGE 2/PRIORITY FOCUS Visit the League's Official Web Site--www,cacities.org