MAYOR KITTY MOORE
[email protected]
CITY HALL
10300 TORRE AVENUE • CUPERTINO, CA 95014-3255
TELEPHONE: (408) 777-1389 • FAX: (408) 777-3366
CUPERTINO.GOV
September 1, 2026
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor, State of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: Request for Signature - SB 922 (Laird) Vehicles: Local Agency Charges: Use of Streets or Highways
Dear Governor Newsom:
On behalf of the City of Cupertino, I am writing to respectfully request your signature on Senate Bill (SB) 922 (Laird), which would clarify the authority of local agencies to recover the costs of maintaining and repairing streets, roads, and highways associated with the delivery of public services.
Cities throughout California are responsible for maintaining extensive local street networks that are essential to residents, businesses, emergency services, utilities, and other public services. The operation of heavy service vehicles, including those used for waste collection and other essential services, contributes to pavement deterioration and creates real maintenance and repair costs for local governments.
SB 922 provides important clarity by confirming that fees, charges, or surcharges imposed by or for a local agency to recover street maintenance and repair costs associated with providing public services are permissible and are not prohibited charges for the privilege of using local streets or highways. The bill also preserves the existing prohibition on local charges based on vehicle weight.
For Cupertino and other local governments, SB 922 will:
• Protect Local Infrastructure: Allow cities to appropriately recover costs associated with wear and deterioration of local streets resulting from the delivery of public services.
• Promote Fiscal Responsibility: Help ensure that costs attributable to particular services are incorporated into those services rather than shifted to a city's General Fund and taxpayers at large.
• Provide Legal and Regulatory Certainty: Clarify state law so local agencies can continue established practices for funding street maintenance without uncertainty regarding the application of Vehicle Code Section 9400.8. • Preserve Local Control: Give communities the flexibility to structure lawful fees and service charges based on their individual infrastructure needs while maintaining protections against weight-based road charges.
Maintaining safe and reliable streets is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of local government. At a time when cities face significant infrastructure needs and rising maintenance costs, local agencies should have clear authority to ensure that the costs generated by public- service operations can be appropriately reflected in the cost of providing those services.
SB 922 is a reasonable and important clarification of state law that will help local governments protect public infrastructure and responsibly manage limited public resources.
For these reasons, the City of Cupertino respectfully requests that you sign SB 922 into law.
Sincerely,
Kitty Moore
Mayor, City of Cupertino
Cc: The Honorable Josh Becker
The Honorable Patrick Ahrens