R-518City Council Meeting: 2-9-2010
Santa Monica. California
RESOLUTION NUMBER 51s (xns)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA IN SUPPORT OF THE LOCAL TAXPAYER,
PUBLIC SAFETY, AND TRANSPORTATION PROTECTION ACT OF 2010
WHEREAS, California voters have repeatedly and overwhelmingly passed
separate ballot measures to stop State raids of local government funds, and to dedicate
the taxes on gasoline to fund transportation improvement projects; and
WHEREAS, these local government funds are critical to provide the police and
fire, emergency response, parks, libraries, and other vital local services that residents
rely upon every day, and gas tax funds are vital to maintain and improve local streets
and roads, to make road safety improvements, relieve traffic congestion, and provide
mass transit; and
WHEREAS, despite the fact that voters have repeatedly passed measures to
prevent the State from taking these revenues dedicated to funding local government
services and transportation improvement projects, the State Legislature has seized and
borrowed billions of dollars in local government and transportation funds in the past few
years; and
1
WHEREAS, this year's borrowing and raids of local government, redevelopment
and transit funds, as well as previous, ongoing raids of local government and
transportation funds, have lead to severe consequences, such as layoffs of police, fire
and paramedic first responders, fire station closures, stalled economic development,
healthcare cutbacks, delays in road safety improvements, public transit fare increases
and cutbacks in public transit services; and
WHEREAS, State politicians in Sacramento have continued to ignore the will of
the voters, and current law provides no penalties when state politicians take or borrow
these dedicated funds; and
WHEREAS, a coalition of local government, transportation and transit advocates
recently filed a constitutional amendment with the California Attorney General, called
the Local Taxpayer, Public Safety, and Transportation Protection Act of 2010, for
potential placement on California's November 2010 statewide ballot; and
WHEREAS, approval of this ballot initiative would close loopholes and change
the Constitution to further prevent State politicians in Sacramento from seizing,
diverting, shifting, borrowing, transferring, suspending or otherwise taking or interfering
with tax revenues dedicated to funding local government services, including
redevelopment, or dedicated to transportation improvement projects and mass transit.
2
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE REDEVELOPMENT
AGENCY OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Santa Monica and the Redevelopment Agency endorse the Local
Taxpayer, Public Safety, and Transportation Protections Act of 2010, a proposed
constitutional amendment.
SECTION 2. Be it further resolved that we hereby authorize the listing of Santa
Monica and the Redevelopment Agency in support of the Local Taxpayer, Public Safety,
and Transportation Protection Act of 2010. Staff is directed to inform the coalition as
well as all other interested parties of the City Council's endorsement of this proposal.
SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and
thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
0
A HA JO S MOUT E
Cit orne
3
Adopted and approved this 9th day of February, 2010:
~~
Pam O'Connor, Chair Pro Tem
I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 518 (RAS) was duly adopted at
a joint meeting of the Santa Monica City Council and the Redevelopment Agency held
on the 9th day of February, 2010, by the following vote:
Ayes: Agency members: Bloom, Davis, Holbrook, McKeown
Chair Pro-Tem O'Connor
Noes: Agency members: None
Abstain: Agency members: None
Absent: Agency members: Shriver
ATTEST:
Maria M. Stewa ,Agency Secretary