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Home My WebLink AboutItem 4.09 Support AB315Library CITY CLERK File # 940-60 & 660-40 AGENDA STATEMENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: March 20, 2001 SUBJECT: Legislation to Exempt County Libraries from the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund Property Tax Shift Report Prepared By: Jason Behrmann, Administrative Analyst ATTACHMENTS: RECOMMENDATION: 1) 2) 3) Letter from Coanty Librarian Letter urging support for AB 315 Letter urging support for SB 74 and SB 94 Authorize the Mayor to execute the attached letter expressing the City' s support for proposed legislation that would return property taxes now shifted to the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund to county libraries. FINANCIAL STATEMENT: If the legislation is successful, the County would regain approximately $9 million annually. The City would then have the option of reducing its contribution to the library or increasing library service levels. DESCRIPTION: The City recently received a letter from the Alameda County Library requesting that the City take a position in support of legislation that would return property taxes now shifted to the Education Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF) to county libraries which are organized as special districts. There are currently three Bills that would return ERAF to county libraries. AB 315, SB 74 and SB 94 have all recently been introduced in the State Legislature. If'this legislation becomes law, the Alameda County Library system would regain approximately $9 million annually. Since 1993, the City has increased its contract for services with Alameda County Library and also reduced library hours to compensate for the Library' s dwindling property tax revenues. If the property taxes are restored, the City would have the option of either: 1 ) reducing its financial contributions to the Library and restoring Library services to 1993 levels; or 2) retaining its current level of financial contribution in order to provide more specialized services or longer hours than in 1993. Since 1993, libraries have been a part of the local government coalition, which has attempted to secure relief from the ERAF property tax shift. Unfortunately, to date, local government has been unsuccessful in achieving any permanent return of these property taxes. Most recently, at the end of the 2000 legislative session, the Govemor vetoed SB 1637 (Burton) which would have capped the ERAF shift for affected H/cc-forms/agdastmt. doc COPIES TO: Linda M. Wood, Alameda County Li .rarian ITEM NO. ~_~ jurisdictions beginning in FY 2001-2002° The League of Califomia Cities and local governments continue to work with the legislature and Govemor to cap ERAF but it is unknown when or even whether that will occur. While this proposed legislation is not the comprehensive ERAF remm or cap that cities are working towards, it is a positive step and will benefit many cites throughout the State. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Council Authorize the Mayor to execute the attached letters expressing the City' s support for proposed legislation that would return property taxes now shifted to the Educational Augmentation Fund to county libraries. 2450. STEVENSON .BOULEVARD, FREMONT, CALIFORNIA {i 94538-2326 PHONE (,51 0) 745 1 500 F A × ( 5 1 0 7 9 3 2 9 8 7 $ LINDA/%4. WOOD COUNTY CIBRARIAN RECEIVED / ~" '7/ FEe g g ?.001 CffY OF DUBLIN DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT: February 16, 2001 Richard Ambrose, City Manager, City of Dublin Jan Perkins, City Manager, City of Fremont AI Huezo, City Manager, City of Newark Mark Lewis, City Manager, City of Union City LEGISLATION TO EXEMPT THE COUNTY LIBRARY FROM. ERAF SHIFT There have been three .bills introduced in the Legislature this year which seek to return property taxes now shifted to the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF) to county libraries which are organized as special districts for tax purposes. They ' ' AB 315 (Dutra) '. SB 74 (Speier & McPherson) SB. 94 (Torlakson & Figueroa) The bills are essentially the same and it is likely that they will be consolidated sometime during the legislative session. If these bills are approved and signed into law by the Governor, the County Library would regain approximately $9 million annually in local property taxes which are currently shifted to ERAF. This would make it possible for us to achieve the vision of our Strategic Plan for increasing hours of library service, stronger collections of library materials, and better use of technology to support public services and internal efficiencies. Should this occur, each 'city; which has increased its contract with us for services since the property tax shift began, would have the option of reducing its contribution to the Library's budget or retaining its current contract levels in order to provide more specialized services or longer hours than in 1993. In the interest of the very best public service, we hope the cities would continue their current contract levels, but you would ALBANY · CASTRO VALEE' E×TENs ,oN S ER V,C.S. F', ATTACHMENT 1 NEWARK · NILES · S Page 2 be able to contract for significantly higher service levels tailored to your unique needs instead of supporting basic hours of service. I am expecting the Board of Supervisors to take a support position on the two Senate Bills on February 27. The Alameda County Library Advisory Commission did so at its meeting on February 7. The Dutra bill will be acted on later by the Board and the Commission since it was just introduced. At this time, I am requesting each city served by the County Library to take a position in support of these bills, since they would have a direct beneficial impact on your city. Please notify me if your City Council does take a position on these bills. If approved by your City Council, I would appreciate your notifying the League of California Cities of your position and asking them to support these biiis as well. Over 220 California cities served by county libraries would be affected similarly. Of course, I would encourage you to communicate with your legislators to indicate your support for these bills as well. Thank you and please call me at 745-1536 if you have any questions. LMW:syt cc Lisa Goldman, City of Fremont Valerie Crawford, City of Union City Jean Hofacket, Deputy County Librarian Pat Zahn, Dublin Branch Manager Sandi Pantages, Fremont Libraries Manager Elizabeth Silva, Newark Branch Manager Linda Harris, Union City Branch Manager S:\COLIBRN~to city rngrs re legislation to exempt co libraries from ERAF shift.doc CITY OF DUBLIN 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin, California 94568 March 20, 2001 Assemblymember Patricia Wiggins California State Assembly, Local Government Committee State Capitol, P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0001 AB 315 (DUTRA) LIBRARY ERAF EXEMPTION Website: http://www. ci.dublin.ca.us Dear Assemblymember Wiggins: On behalf of the Dublin City Council, I would like to request your support for AB 315 (Dutra). This legislation would return property taxes now shifted to the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF) to county libraries which are organized as special districts. For several years local governments have been working to secure relief from the ERAF property tax shifL Unfortunately, local governments have been unsuccessful in achieving any permanent return of these property taxes-most notably with the Governor'.s recent veto of SB 431 (Barbara Lee). I appreciate your efforts on this Bill and am asking that you continue to support similar bills that return property taxes that were stolen from.local governments during the state budget crisis. While AB 315 (Dutra) is not a comprehensive approach to local government ERAF reform, the City understands that libraries play an integral role in building and sustaining our communities and therefore supports this legislation. Since 1993, the City has increased its contract for services with Alameda County Library and also reduced library hours to compensate for the Library's dwindling property tax revenues. This legislation would allow the County Library to. restore services to the City of Dublin to at least 1993 levels. Thank you for all of your work to date in this area° We urge you to continue to work to help local governments and the residents they serve regain the revenues that have been lost over the past decade through ERAF. Thank you. Sincerely, Guy So Houston Mayor cc: League of California Cities Linda M. Wood, Alameda County Librarian Dublin City Council Area Code (925) · City Manager 833-6650 · City Council 833-6650 · Personnel 833-6605 · Finance 833-6640 · Public Works/Engineering 833-6630 · Parks & Community Services Planning/Code Enforcement 833-6610 · Building Inspection 833-6620 · Fire Prevel Printed on Recycled Paper ATTACHMENT 2 CITY OF DUBLIN 1 O0 Civic Plaza, Dublin, California 94568 Website: http://www. ci.dublin.ca.us March 20, 2001 Senator Tom Torlakson California State Senate State Capitol, Room 2068 Sacramento, CA 95814 RE: SB 74 (SPEIER & MCPHERSON) AND SB 94 (TORLAKSON & FIGUEROA) Dear Senator Torlakson: On behalf of the Dublin City Council, I would like to;request your support for SB 74 (Speier & McPherson) and SB 94 (Torlakson & Figueroa). This legislation would remm property taxes now shifted to the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF) to county libraries which are organized as special districts. For several years local governments have been working to secure relief from the ERAF property tax shift. Unfortunately, local governments have been unsuccessful in achieving any permanent retum of these property taxes-most notably with the Govemor's recent veto of SB 431 (Lee). I appreciate your efforts on this Bill and am asking that you continue to support similar bills that retum property taxes that were stolen from local governments during the state budget crisis. While SB 74 (Speier & McPherson) and SB 94 (Torlakson & Figueroa) do not represent a comprehensive approach to local government ERAF reform, the City understands that libraries play an integral role in building and sustaining our communities and therefore supports this legislation. Since 1993, the City has increased its contract for services with Alameda County Library and also reduced library hours to compensate., for the Library' s dwindling property tax revenues. This legislation would allow the County Library to restore services to the City of Dublin to at least 1993 levels. Thank you for all of your work to date in this area. We urge you to continue to work to help local governments and the residents they serve regain the revenues that have been lost over the past decade through ERAF. Thank you. ' Sincerely, Guy S. Houston Mayor cc: League of Califomia Cities Linda M. Wood, Alameda County Librarian Dublin City Council Area Code (925) · City Manager 833-6650 · City Council 833-6650 · Personnel 833-6605 · Finance 833-6640 · Public Works/Engineering 833-6630 o Parks & Community Services Planning/Code Enforcement 833-6610 · Building Inspection 833-6620 · Fire Prev~ Printed on RecyCled. Paper AI'I'ACHMENT 3