AgdaPkt 2004-04-12 - Laserfiche WebLink

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., I . . I . 'II . 1.Ø,q --- THE LOCAL TAXPAYERS AND PUBLIC SAFETY PROTECTION ACT SECTION ONE. Short Title. These amendments to the California Constitution shall be known and may be cited as the LOCAL T AXP A YERS AND PUBLIC SAFETY PROTECTION ACT. SECTION TWO. Findings and Purposes (a) The People of the State of California find that restoring local control over local tax dollars is vital to insure that local tax dollars are used to provide critical local services including, but not limited to, police, fire, emergency and trauma care, public health, libraries, criminal justice, and road and street maintenance. Reliable funding for these services is essential for the security, well-being and quality oflife ofall Californians. (b) For many years, the Legislature has taken away local tax dollars used by local governments so that the State could control those local tax dollars. In fact, the Legislature has been taking away billions oflocal tax dollars each year, forcing local governments to either raise local fees or taxes to maintain services, or cut back on critically needed local servIces. (c) The Legislature's diversion oflocal tax dollars fiom local governments hanns '- local governments' ability 10 provide such specific services as police, fire, emergency and trauma care, public health, libraries, criminal justice, and road and street maintenance. (d) In recognition of the hann caused by diversion of local tax dollars and the importance placed on voter control of major decisions concerning government finance, and consistent with existing provisions of the California Constitution that give the people the right to vote on fiscal changes, the People ofthe State of California want the right to vote upon actions by the State government that take local tax dollars fiom local governments. (e) The Local Taxpayers and Public Safety Protection Act is designed 10 insure that the People of the State of California shall have the right to approve or reject the actions of state government to take away local revenues that fund vitally needed local servIces. (f) The Local Taxpayers and Public Safety Protection Act strengthens the requirement that if the State mandates local governments to implement new or expanded programs, then the State shall reimburse local governments for the cost of those programs. (g) The Local Taxpayers and Public Safety Protection Act does not amend or modify the School Funding Initiative, Proposition 98 (Article XVI, section 8 of the California Constitution). I '- I