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4/12/2004 ORIGINAL RESOLUTION NO. 14578 RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE "LOCAL TAXPAYERS AND PUBLIC SAFETY PROTECTION ACT" INITIATIVE FOR THE NOVEMBER 2, 2004 STATEWIDE BALLOT, REQUIRING VOTER APPROVAL BEFORE STATE GOVERNMENT MAY CONFISCATE LOCAL TAX FUNDS WHEREAS, State of California annually seizes over $800 million in city property tax funds (ERAF) statewide, costing cities over $6.9 billion in lost revenues over the past 12 years and seriously reducing resources available for local public safety and other services; and WHEREAS, in adopting the state budget this year the Legislature and Governor appropriated local vehicle license fee backfill and redevelopment property tax funds that are needed to finance critical city services such as public safety, parks, street maintenance, housing and economic development; and WHEREAS, the deficit financing plan in the state budget depends on a local property and sales tax "swap" that leaves city services vulnerable if the state's economic condition fails to improve; and WHEREAS, the adopted state budget assumes an ongoing structural budget deficit of at least $8 billion, putting city resources and services at risk of additional state revenue raids in future years; and `1_1 WHEREAS, since fiscal year 1992/1993, the State has taken over $35 million of Redwood City's funding as part of the so- called ERAF property tax shift, with a continuing diversion of over $4 million annually, and in just the last two fiscal years the State has taken nearly $400,000 from the City's Redevelopment Agency funds; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly clear that state leaders will continue to use local tax funds to balance the state budget unless the voters limit the power of the Legislature and Governor to do so; and WHEREAS, the voters of California are the best judges of whether local tax funds should be diverted, confiscated, shifted or otherwise taken to finance an over- expanding state government; and WHEREAS, the General Assembly of Voting Delegates of the League of California Cities at its September 10, 2003 meeting voted to sponsor a statewide ballot initiative to empower the voters to limit the ability of state government to confiscate local tax funds to fund state government; and Afty /Reso /Reso.1456 1 14578 031704