The San Benito County Board of Supervisors is joining a growing
number of counties around the state in opposing proposed state
budget cuts that could take nearly $4 million from local
government.
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors is joining a growing number of counties around the state in opposing proposed state budget cuts that could take nearly $4 million from local government.
On Tuesday, the Board unanimously adopted a resolution opposing Gov. Gray Davis’ proposed plan to eliminate millions of dollars in promised reimbursements under the state’s vehicle license fees.
Eliminating the reimbursements would mean a loss of about $1.1 million to the county’s current budget and an additional loss of approximately $2.7 million every year after that, county officials said.
The resolution is identical to others adopted as of Monday by 27 other counties across the state urging the state Legislature to reject the governor’s plan.
County officials said they understand that with the state trying to get a handle on an estimated $34.6 billion budget deficit, some cuts will have to be made. But a complete elimination of the reimbursements for the vehicle license fee is going too far, they said.
“This is not a request for an increase, just a restoration in promised funding,” County Administrative Officer Gil Solorio said.
Eliminating the vehicle license fee would save about $1.3 billion in reimbursements statewide this year starting Feb. 1 and cut another $2.9 billion next year.
The loss of funding, which is used to supplement a variety of local services, would have to be made up from money in the county’s general fund. Already strapped for cash, the county would have to consider a variety of cost-cutting measures to make up for the loss of revenue.
Also, Board Chairman Richard Scagliotti sent a strongly worded request encouraging local legislators State Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Salinas, and Assemblyman Simon Salinas, D-Salinas, to not only vote against the elimination of the vehicle license fees but to do what they could to protect the Williamson Act from proposed elimination by the state.
County officials said eliminating the Williamson Act – which saves owners of agricultural land an estimated 20 to 75 percent annually in property taxes – could cost the county an estimated $750,000 in contracted subsidies.
Eliminating those subsidies would deal a heavy blow to local agriculture, an industry that means more than $210 million per year to San Benito County. Coupled with the loss of the vehicle license fee reimbursement, the county could lose an estimated $3.4 million annually.
Residents such as Web Winans seemed to offer their support for the Board’s move to block Davis’ proposal.
“It’s more and more bad news coming out of Sacramento lately, but we anticipated that,” Winans said.
