Laserfiche WebLink
Budget, or subsequent budgets, will have on its own finances and operations. Additionally, the <br />City cannot predict the accuracy of any projections made in the State's 2011 -12 State Budget. <br />x2012 -13 State Budget Set forth below is a summary of the 2011 -12 State Budget and <br />budget process. <br />UPDATE AS RELEVANT, JANUARY 2012.1 <br />Future State Budgets The City cannot predict what actions will be taken in future years <br />by the State Legislature and Governor to address the State's then - current or future budget <br />deficits, whether they will be similar to those actions proposed or undertaken in prior State <br />Budget years, and the nature of length of future State Budget negotiation processes. Future <br />State Budgets will be affected by national and state economic conditions and other factors over <br />which the City has no control. To the extent that the State Budget process results in reduced <br />revenues to the City, the City will be required to make adjustments to its budget. Decreases in <br />such revenues may have an adverse impact on the City's ability to pay the Bonds. <br />Vehicle License Fees <br />Vehicle license fees ( "VLF ") imposed for the operation of vehicles on state highways are <br />collected by the State Department of Motor Vehicles. VLFs were historically assessed in the <br />amount of two percent of a vehicle's depreciated market value for the privilege of operating a <br />vehicle on the State's public highways. Beginning in 1999, the VLF paid by vehicle owners was <br />offset (or reduced) to the effective rate of 0.65 percent. <br />In connection with the offset of the VLF, the State Legislature authorized appropriations <br />from the State General Fund to "backfill" the offset so that local governments, which receive all <br />of the vehicle license fee revenues, would not experience any loss of revenues. The legislation <br />that established the VLF offset program also provided that if there were insufficient State <br />General Fund moneys to fully "backfill" the VLF offset, the percentage offset would be reduced <br />proportionately (i.e., the license fee payable by drivers would be increased) to assure that local <br />governments would not be underfunded. <br />In June 2003, the State Director of Finance ordered the suspension of VLF offsets due <br />to a determination that insufficient State General Fund moneys would be available for this <br />purpose, and, beginning in October 2003, the VLF paid by vehicle owners were restored to the <br />two percent level. However, the offset suspension was rescinded by the Governor on November <br />17, 2003, and State offset payments to local governments resumed. <br />As part of the 2004 Budget Act negotiations, an agreement was made between the State <br />and local government officials (the "State -local agreement ") under which the VLF rate was <br />permanently reduced from two percent to 0.65 percent. In order to protect local governments, <br />the reduction in VLF revenue to cities and counties from this rate change was replaced by an <br />increase in the amount of property tax they receive. Under the State -local agreement, for Fiscal <br />Years 2004 -05 and 2005 -06 only, the replacement property taxes that cities and counties <br />receive were reduced by $700 million. Commencing in Fiscal Year 2004 -05, local governments <br />began to receive their full share of replacement property taxes, and those replacement property <br />taxes now enjoy constitutional protection against certain transfers by the State due to the <br />approval of Proposition IA at the November 2004 election. <br />26 <br />