Facing constant budget battles, Hollister’s state senator wants
to make it easier for California to sell government-owned land in
the private sector for profit.
Facing constant budget battles, Hollister’s state senator wants to make it easier for California to sell government-owned land in the private sector for profit.
Two bills authored by Senator Jeff Denham (R-Merced), part of his Comprehensive State Asset Reform Package, passed the Senate Governmental Organization Committee unanimously Wednesday, allowing California to sell surplus land to counties, cities and private owners.
The two bills, which are co-authored by Senator Jim Battin (R-Palm Desert), are part of a 10-bill package to reform how the government deals with state-owned land.
“This is a way for the state to take advantage of its assets,” Denham said. “I came into office at a time when we’re faced with huge budget problems, and I saw this as a way of helping it.”
Denham and Battin will encourage the bureaucracy to liquidate itself of any surplus land and speed up the process of selling-off land. Currently, the average time it takes to sell state land is 6.7 years, according to Dehman, who hopes to speed the process up and see an immediate influx of cash flow to the state.
“This is good government,” he said. “We should be utilizing these opportunities rather than looking at cuts and extra taxes.”
SB 1751, passed by a 10-0 vote, will require the Department of General Services (DGS) to put state property in a public database online by July 1, 2006.
“Californians should know exactly what we own and what their tax dollars are being spent on,” Denham said.
SB 1753 will require the DGS to determine land reported as excess that can be utilized by another state agency. State agencies will have two months to purchase the land, and if there are no takers, private parties can purchase the land in six months.
If the bills pass, it won’t mean the state will be selling off much land in San Benito County however. Mostly because California does not own much in the area.
Of 8,700 acres of state-owned land in San Benito County, 6,000 acres of that land comprises the motorcycle park at Hollister Hills. Tom Slavich, assistant assessor of San Benito County, said, beside the park, the rest of the acreage are tiny slots of land along country roads and highways.
“There isn’t too much surplus land here except for little slivers,” he said. “I don’t see this having any major impact here except if they were to sell the park.”
Denham said even these little slivers of land could be useful for someone who is hoping to expand their property, and, collectively, the state could benefit from selling a lot of little parcels.
“Someone who lives in the area of that land could have an extended back yard if they wanted,” he said.
Denham also said the county would benefit from the sales because it would collect the property tax and sales tax on the purchase.
The other eight bills of the package will be voted on next week.
