CSAC Housing, Land Use, and Transportation Policy Committee
Meeting
The CSAC Housing, Land Use, and Transportation Policy Committee
is scheduled to meet on Thursday, February 3rd from 9:30 a.m. to
11:00 a.m., in the CSAC Peterson Conference Room, 1100 K Street,
Sacramento. The tentative agenda includes a State Budget and
Legislative Update and an action item to approve proposed changes
to the CSAC County Platform chapters under the purview of the
committee. The final agenda will be sent to committee members and
posted on the CSAC website by next week.
CSAC, along with the Legislature and multiple transportation
stakeholders, continues to analyze and understand the affects of
Proposition 26 on the transportation tax swap enacted in March
2010 (AB X8 6 and AB X8 9). Recall that the
transportation tax swap eliminated the sales tax on gasoline
(Proposition 42 and spillover) and replaced it with a 17.3-cent
increase in the excise tax on gasoline (Highway Users Tax Account
or HUTA) and a 1.75 percent rate increase in the sales tax on
diesel.
AB 602, by Assembly Member Mike Feuer, seeks to change the
decision of a Court of Appeal (Urban Habitat v. City of
Pleasanton) relating to a statute of limitations for housing
elements and other housing related issues. More specifically, we
understand the bill will be amended to provide a five-year
statute of limitations for challenging a housing element and
related statutes, such as growth limitations, density bonus
ordinances, and zoning changes.
CSAC Helping To Develop Comprehensive Fee Land Into Trust Reform
CSAC, working with a coalition of three other state associations
representing New York, Idaho, and Wisconsin counties, has been
diligently working to develop a proposal for comprehensive fee
land into trust reform at the federal level. While this issue has
been on the agenda for local governments around the country for
decades, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Carcieri v.
Salazar(129 S.Ct.
AB 602 (Feuer) – Oppose
As Amended on June 21, 2010
Assembly Bill 602, by Assembly Member Mike Feuer, would change
the decision of a Court of Appeal (Urban Habitat v. City of
Pleasanton) relating to a statute of limitations provision
related to housing issues. CSAC has a number of concerns with the
approach of the bill, the primary of which are described
below:
When most Californians think of land-use planning or
infrastructure, they think of their local city – the new
residential neighborhood being built or the condition of their
local streets.
Yet few people may realize the role that counties play in these
crucial areas. In fact, cities, counties and regions are
intricately linked in these arenas.
Governor Schwarzenegger, satisfied with actions by the
Legislature, signed ABX8 6 and ABX8 9, the two-bill package that
will bring significant change to how transportation is
funded. Proposition 42 is no more. The repeal of the
sales tax on gas, and thus Proposition 42, will be replaced by an
equivalent amount of increase in the per gallon gas
tax.
Just before the end of the deadline for action on the two-bill
package, the Legislature responded to the Governor’s
request to address two issues. One was to fix a technical
problem related to railroads and other diesel users to ensure
they w
(Update 11:18 a.m ) The transportation tax swap measures
were passed by the Legislature and will now go to the Governor
for action.
Assembly Member Nielsen opposed the measure on the grounds that
the measure is a raid on local government funding and is in fact
a tax increase without the required 2/3rds vote threshold.
Assembly Member DeVore also in opposition because the
transportation tax swap is another run around Proposition 42.
Assembly Member Eng spoke in support for the proposal.
