City and county officials from throughout the state recently
reached an historic agreement with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
City and county officials from throughout the state recently reached an historic agreement with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
If enacted by the Legislature and the voters of California, this package will protect the very future of our cities, counties and special districts and stabilize funding for the vital services we provide the residents of our communities. A major factor in the financial challenges we face here in the city of Hollister is due to the state taking our money, and this agreement would protect our city.
As Hollister’s representative, I joined other local government leaders in agreeing to accept two more years of budget cuts to help the state of California with its immense budget problems. I did this with the understanding that this would be the last time. Included in this agreement is a commitment from the governor to promote a November ballot measure that would constitutionally prevent the state from taking and using local government funds in the future. We are hopeful that the Legislature will enact this important package without changing the core framework as negotiated by local governments and the governor.
If this agreement is implemented, the real winners will be the residents of Hollister, and San Benito County, who rely on the police and fire protection, the parks, libraries, road repairs and other essential local government services.
For more than 10 years, the state has been taking billions of dollars each and every year from cities, counties and special districts – in both good times and bad. Statewide, this raid on local funds now totals about $44 billion. Locally, The city of Hollister and San Benito County have had more than $25 million stolen by the state during this time. The city’s and county’s financial problems, and the cuts in services currently being made, are an unfortunate example of the impact of the state taking our money.
While the agreement does contain two more years of painful cuts, the negotiated budget package is far preferable to the governor’s January budget, which would have transferred an additional $1.3 billion annually in local property taxes to the state. And again, this agreement and the connected initiative will ensure that it’s the last time the state dips its hands into our community’s pockets.
The Legislature should adopt this reform package without altering its current, carefully negotiated provisions and put the constitutional protection measure before the voters in November.
I urge you to contact Assemblyman Simon Salinas, D-Salinas, at 759-8676 and state Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Merced, at 769-8040 and ask them to support this agreement that would protect our community’s services.
Tony Bruscia is the Mayor of the city of Hollister.
