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RESOLUTION NO. 2003-087 <br /> <br />bk:10/24/03 <br /> <br />A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF <br />SANTA ANA SUPPORTING A STATEWlDE BALLOT <br />INITIATIVE TO REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL BEFORE <br />THE STATE GOVERNMENT MAY TAKE LOCAL TAX <br />FUNDS <br /> <br /> BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AS <br />FOLLOWS: <br /> <br /> Section 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana hereby finds, determines <br />and declares as follows: <br /> <br />State government annually seized over $800 million in city property tax <br />funds (ERAF)s tatewide, costing cities over $ 6.9 billion i n lost revenues <br />over the past twelve (12) years and seriously reducing resources available <br />for local public safety and other services. <br /> <br />In adopting the state budget for this year the Legislature and Governor <br />appropriated local vehicle license fee backfill and redevelopment property <br />tax funds that are needed to finance critical City services such as public <br />safety, parks, street maintenance, housing and economic development. <br /> <br />The deficit financing plan in the state budget depends on local property tax <br />and sales tax swap that leaves city resources and services at risk in future <br />years to additional state revenue raids. <br /> <br />The adopted state budget assumes an ongoing structural budget deficit of <br />at least $8 billion, putting city resources and services at risk in future years <br />to state revenue raids. <br /> <br />It is abundantly clear that state leaders will continue to use local tax funds <br />to balance the state budget unless the voters limit the power of the <br />Legislature and Governor to do so. <br /> <br />The voters of California are the best judges of whether local tax funds <br />should be diverted, confiscated, shifted or otherwise taken to finance an <br />ever-expanding state government. <br /> <br />The General Assembly of Voting Delegates of the League of California <br />Cities (League) at its September 10, 2003 meeting voted to sponsor a <br />statewide ballot initiative to empower the voters to limit the ability of state <br />government to confiscate local tax funds to fund state government. <br /> <br />The League has requested that cities offer support for a November 2004 <br />ballot imitative that will allow voters to decide whether state government <br /> <br />Resolution No. 2003-087 <br /> Page 1 of 3 <br /> <br /> <br />