MEETING DATE:
JANUARY 23, 2024
SUBJECT:
Title
RESOLUTION NO. 2024-9257 - APPROVING THE 2024 LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
Body
Recommendation
Recommendation
ADOPT a resolution approving the 2024 San Marcos Legislative Platform to guide the City’s legislative program and advocacy activities.
Body
Board or Commission Action
Not applicable
Relevant Council Strategic Theme
Planning for the Future
Good Governance
Introduction
The City Council has prioritized an active legislative program that seeks to protect the City’s local autonomy and ensure that the interests of its residents and businesses are protected and/or enhanced. The City continues to retain legislative advocates in Sacramento who actively monitor legislation, assist with funding requests, and advocate on behalf of the City of San Marcos in committee hearings and in meetings with legislators and agency officials.
Discussion
Reflecting the priority of influencing legislative activity, the City Council has adopted policies and procedures to guide legislative monitoring and advocacy at the state and federal levels.
Legislative procedures, adopted in 2008 and revised in 2013, direct the development of the legislative platform and day-to-day bill tracking. The legislative platform, amended annually, serves as the foundation for a focused advocacy strategy and provides the clarity required to ensure efforts are directed towards only the most important and impactful bills.
The 2024 draft legislative platform includes many of the same priorities as the 2023 platform, including the protection of local finances, the preservation of local control, sustainability and energy strategies, labor relations, transportation, and communications. Similarly, the League of California Cities (Cal Cities) has adopted its 2024 Advocacy Priorities (Attachment C) to include safeguard local revenues and bolster local economic development, strengthen climate change resiliency and disaster preparedness, improve public safety and expand investments to prevent and reduce homelessness and increase the supply of affordable housing.
The suggested platform differs from the Cal Cities platform in one significant respect. That difference relates to the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, an initiative measure sponsored by the California Business Roundtable Tax (CBRT), which is currently slated to appear on the November 2024 state ballot. Cal Cities has taken a strong “oppose” position, asserting that the measure would put at risk billions of dollars for essential local services and would limit the ability of local voters and their elected representatives to pass new revenue measures to provide vital services. Cal Cities estimates the measure could reduce state and local government funding for core public services by billions annually and that the measure’s unclear language could result in lawsuits putting an additional financial burden on cities and taxpayers. In September of 2023 the California Legislature, Governor Newsom, and John Burton filed an Emergency Petition for Writ of Mandate with the California Supreme Court seeking to prevent the CBRT measure from being placed on the November 2024 ballot, arguing that the measure exceeds permissible amendment of the California Constitution. Cal Cities joined in an amicus letter in support of the Emergency Petition with the California State Association of Counties. The California Supreme Court directed the Secretary of State and CBRT to file opposition to the Emergency Petition, and papers have been filed by affected parties. It is presently anticipated that oral argument on the Emergency Petition may occur in April. The Supreme Court’s review of the Emergency Petition should be completed prior to the June 2024 deadline to print ballots for the November 2024 election. The proposed platform has been modified to include a caveat relating to the City’s position on the CBRT initiative, as the Council has previously indicated its support for the same. Except as caveated, the platform includes support of the Cal Cities legislative priorities.
Staff recommends that City Council review and adopt the 2024 Legislative Platform.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact directly associated with the adoption of the legislative platform.
Attachments
Attachment A: Draft 2024 Legislative Platform
Attachment B: Resolution
Attachment C: Cal Cities 2024 Advocacy Priorities
Prepared by: Phil Scollick, City Clerk
Approved by: Michelle Bender, City Manager