Item 38 - Water Revenue Bonds - Laserfiche WebLink

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Constitutional Limit on Appropriations, Fees and Charges If a portion of the Water System rates or connection charges were determined by a court to exceed the reasonable costs of providing service, any fee which the City charges may be considered to be a "special tax," which under Articles XIIIA or XIIID of the California Constitution must be authorized by a two-thirds vote of the affected electorate. This requirement is applicable to the City's rates for service provided by the Water System. The reasonable cost of service provided by the Water System has been determined by the State Controller to include depreciation and allowance for the cost of capital improvements. In addition, the State courts have determined that fees such as connection fees (capacity charges) will not be special taxes if they approximate the reasonable cost of constructing Water System improvements contemplated by the local agency imposing the fee. Such court determinations have been codified in the Government Code of the State of California (Section 66000 et seq.). Under Article XIIIB of the California Constitution, state and local government entities have an annual "appropriations limit" which limits their ability to spend certain moneys called "appropriations subject to limitation," which consists of tax revenues, certain state subventions and certain other moneys, including user charges to the extent they exceed the costs reasonably borne by the entity in providing the service for which it is levying the charge. In general terms, the "appropriations limit" is to be based on certain Fiscal Year 1978-79 expenditures, and is to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the consumer price index, population and services provided by these entities. Among other provisions of Article XIIIB, if an entity's revenues in any year exceed the amount permitted to be spent, the excess would have to be returned by revising tax rates or fee schedules over the subsequent two years. The City is of the opinion that the rates and use charges imposed by the City in connection with the Water System do not exceed the costs it reasonably bears in providing such services. Limited Recourse on Default If the City defaults on its obligation to make Installment Payments, the Trustee, as assignee of the Authority, has the right to accelerate the total unpaid principal amounts of the Installment Payments. However, in the event of a default and such acceleration there can be no assurance that the City will have sufficient Net System Revenues to pay the accelerated Installment Payments. No Debt Service Reserve Account The Authority is not funding a debt service reserve account for the Bonds. In the event of a failure by the City to pay Installment Payments when due and the Authority to timely pay debt service on the Bonds, no other source of funds will be available to make such payments while the Trustee pursues available remedies under the Indenture. Limitations on Remedies Available; Bankruptcy The enforceability of the rights and remedies of the Owners and the obligations of the City may become subject to the following: the federal bankruptcy code and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, or similar laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally, now or hereafter in effect; equitable principles which may limit the specific enforcement under State law of certain remedies; the exercise by the United States of America of the powers delegated to it by the Federal Constitution; and the reasonable and necessary exercise, in certain exceptional situations, of the police power inherent in the sovereignty of the State and its governmental bodies in the interest of servicing a significant and legitimate public purpose. Bankruptcy proceedings, or the exercising of powers by the federal or State government, if initiated, could subject the Owners to judicial discretion and interpretation of their rights in bankruptcy or otherwise and consequently may entail risks of delay, limitation, or modification of their rights. 31