O'Donnell & Sac'to Committee Dems Advance (Repubs Dissent On) Proposed Constitutional Amendment To Make It Easier For Local Gov'ts To Raise Taxes For Broadly Defined "Transportation" Projects Including Local Streets, Roads and Highways
See List of Supporters/Opponents; Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Ass'n calls measure direct attack on Prop 13
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(April 28, 2015) -- Assemblyman Patrick O'Donnell (D, Long Beach) joined nine other Democrats on the Assembly Transportation Committee in voting (without comment) to advance a proposed Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA 4) that (if approved by voters statewide) would amend the state constitution (affecting Propositoin 13) to let local governments -- such as the City of Long Beach -- "impose, extend or increase" a special tax to fund broadly defined local transportation projects (including maintaining local streets, roads and highways) with 55% voter approval instead of Prop 13's current 2/3 voter approval requirement.
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The measure broadly defines "local transportation projects" to include funding for "maintenance of local streets, roads, and highways, state highways and freeways, and public transit systems."
The vote tally was 10-4 along party lines; Dems voted "yes," Repubs voted "no" (with one Repub and one Dem not voting.)
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The Assembly Transportation Committee's legislative analysis listed the measure's supporters/opponents as follows:
Support
California State Association of Counties
California Transit Association
California Transportation Commission
Glendale City Employees Association
Move LA
Organization of SMUD Employees
Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
San Bernardino Public Employees Association
San Luis Obispo County Employees Association
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Solano Transportation Authority
Ventura County Transportation Commission
Opposition
California Taxpayers Association
Air Logistics Corporation
Associated Builders and Contractors of California
California Association of Realtors
California Retailers Association
California Tank Lines, Inc.
Orange County Business Council
Southwest California Legislative Council
California Chamber of Commerce
Chemical Transfer Company
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
National Federation of Independent Business
West Coast Leasing, LLC
California Manufacturers and Technology Association
Orange County Taxpayers Association
Superior Tank Wash, Inc.
West Coast Leasing, LLC
The measure defines "local transportation project" to mean "the planning, design, development, financing, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, acquisition, lease, operation, or maintenance of local streets, roads, and highways, state highways and freeways, and public transit systems."
The local election at which a City Council majority could ask voters to raise taxes for such projects is specified to be "consolidated with a regularly scheduled general election for members of the governing body of the local government, except in cases of emergency declared by a unanimous vote of the governing body."
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To view the full text of the measure (as of April 22), click here.
The measure now heads to the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee, whose members include Assemblyman Mike Gipson (D, Willow, Compton, western portion of NLB.)
