Editor's Note

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Bill to Help Restore Lost VLF to Newly Incorporated Cities Annexations Attracts League Support

Newly incorporated California cities and cities that had recently annexed inhabited areas lost a key source of vehicle license fee (VLF) revenues in 2011 when the Legislature passed SB 89. Then the passage of Proposition 30 in 2012 directed VLF exclusively to fund realignment. SB 56 by Sen. Richard Roth (D-Riverside) would give newly incorporated cities and cities with recently annexed inhabited areas the same property taxes in lieu of VLF as other currently cities receive.

Key words: Revenue and Taxation, Legislation

Claremont Transforms Blighted Area Using Innovative State-Local Partnership

Tax Increment Financing Provided Backbone of the Funding

Parts of Southern California grew early in the last century in part because of the region’s rich citrus industry. When it went into decline, however, it left a hole adjacent to the city of Claremont’s downtown that had once been its hub, creating a virtual ghost town by the early 1970s. That once blighted district ultimately became a vibrant part of the city through careful planning and the leveraging of private investments through a state and local funding partnership. The transformation of these 35 acres is showcased in Claremont’s Strong Cities | Strong State profile because it has had a dramatic impact on the city, region and state.

Key words: Redevelopment, Strong Cities | Strong State

League Supports Bills to Provide, Brownfield Remediation Authority to Cities, and Authorize Expenditure of Proceeds of 2011 RDA Bonds

Support Letters Requested on AB 440 and AB 981

This week the League officially announced its support of AB 440 (Gatto) and AB 981 (Bloom). Both bills would address problems created by the dissolution of redevelopment agencies.

Key words: Revenue and Taxation, Redevelopment, Legislation, Affordable Housing

League-Supported Economic Development Tools Legislation

Last November, the League’s leadership identified the expansion of community and economic development tools and funding options for city services as a League priority for 2013. It’s imperative that cities have tools to invest in projects that will create jobs, boost the economy and generate state and local revenues. Legislators have introduced a variety of bills this session to address California’s economic development needs, which the League is actively monitoring. The League has taken a support position on the following bills and will continue to review additional legislation for policy positions. This list reflects positions taken as of April 3, 2013.

Key words: Economic Development, Legislation

Cities to Submit First Round of New Business License Fees to Disability Access and Education Revolving Fund

Funds due to DSA by April 15

Gov. Jerry Brown last year signed SB 1186 (Steinberg) into law. One of the provisions that affects cities the most is the requirement to collect an additional $1 from every business license or equivalent instrument. While cities get to keep 70 percent of every dollar, they are required to transmit 30 percent of every dollar on a quarterly basis to the Division of State Architect (DSA).

Key words: Housing, Infrastructure

Affordable Care Act Workshop Helps Cities Prepare for Health Care Reform

As large employers, most cities and counties are subject to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) complex mandates on coverage, affordability, tracking and reporting and its financial penalties for failure to comply. To help local agencies understand these new compliance requirements, the League, the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) sponsored a free, three-hour workshop on April 2 in Sacramento, “Examining the Affordable Care Act.”

Key words: Employee Relations, Meetings and Events

Deadline Approaching for 2013 Helen Putnam Awards Entries

Applications Due by April 11

Submit your application today for the League Partner-sponsored Helen Putnam Awards for Excellence.

Key words:League Partners, Helen Putnam

The Hit List from WesternCity.com

Western City magazine has compiled its most popular stories into a “Hit List” showing the top five articles on WesternCity.com during the past month. This list reflects the topics of greatest interest to California city officials during the month of March.

Key words: Western City, Housing, Public Safety

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