CITY OF ALAMEDA RESOLUTION NO. ______
A RESOLUTION OPPOSING STATE BALLOT INITIATIVE 21-0042A1,
THE TAXPAYER PROTECTION AND GOVERNMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, WHICH QUALIFIED FOR THE NOVEMBER
2024 STATEWIDE BALLOT, AND WILL FU RTHER SEVERELY LIMIT
THE ABILITY OF VOTERS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO RAISE
REVENUES FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICES
WHEREAS, an association representing California’s wealthiest corporations and developers supported the petition for State Ballot Initiative 21 -0042A1, the so -called “Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act” (“Initiative”), a proposition that qualified for the November 2024 statewide ballot on February 1, 2023; and WHEREAS, the Initiative includes provisions that could make it much more difficult for local voters to pass tax measures needed to fund local services and infrastructure, and would limit voter input by prohibiting local advisory measures where voters provide direction on how they want their local tax dollars spent; and WHEREAS, the Initiative would change the existing constitutional rules to allow corporations to pay far less than their fair share for the impacts they have on our communities, including, without limitation, local infrastructure, public transportation, public education, and our environment; and
WHEREAS, the Initiative may make it much more difficult for state and local regulators to issue fines and levies on corporations that violate laws protecting our environment, public health and safety, and our neighborhoods; and WHEREAS, the Initiative will apply to taxes, fees, and other charges adopted after January 1, 2022, which puts at risk statewide billions of dollars currently dedicated to local services, and could force local funding cuts to fire and emergency respo nse, law enforcement, public health, parks, libraries, affordable housing, services to support homeless residents, mental health services, and more; and WHEREAS, this application to measures that have passed since to January 1, 2022, puts at risk the November 2022 Measure F, the 4% increase to the City’s transient occupancy tax passed by 59% of Alameda voters , which was estimated to bring in additional revenue to the City of $800,000 annually, and many City fees, fines, penalties, and other charges the City passed since January 1, 2022.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that based on the potential harms to crucial City services and needless rollbacks of existing constitutional law, the City Council of the City of Alameda opposes the Initiative; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Alameda directs the City Clerk to transmit a copy of this Resolution to the California Secretary of State, California State Legislature, and Governor Gavin Newsom. * * * * *
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly adopted and passed by the Council of the City of Alameda in regular meeting assembled on the 4th day of April 2023, by the following vote to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
IN WITNESS, WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of said City this 5th day of April 2023.
____________________
Lara Weisiger, City Clerk
City of Alameda
______________________
Yibin Shen, City Attorney
City of Alameda