Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District: transactions and use tax: qualified voter initiative.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on how much new taxes might be or what they would pay for.

Santa Cruz Transit District Tax Initiative

AB-1919 allows voters in Santa Cruz County to propose and vote on taxes for the transit district through a ballot initiative, consolidating these elections with statewide general elections.

What This Bill Does

• Allows voters to start a process to add new taxes for the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District.
• Requires that any tax measure proposed by either the board of directors or voters be put to a vote in an election.
• Says this election can happen at the same time as other big elections in California.
• Makes sure the county's election people handle all parts of these transit district votes.

Who It Names or Affects

• Voters in Santa Cruz County
• The board of directors of the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District
• County election officials

Terms To Know

qualified voter initiative

A process where voters can propose and vote on new laws or taxes.

state-mandated local program

When the state requires counties to do extra work, often with money given back by the state.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify when exactly this bill will start.
• The bill does not explain how much new taxes might be or what they would pay for.
• It is unclear if voters have used this process before in Santa Cruz County.

Official Summary Text

AB 1919, as introduced, Pellerin.
Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District: transactions and use tax: qualified voter initiative.
Existing law provides for the establishment of the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District, with specified powers and duties related to the operation of public transit services serving the County of Santa Cruz. Existing law, among other things, authorizes the board of directors of the district to impose transactions and use taxes in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law by an ordinance approved by the electors voting on the measure at a special election called by the board of directors for that purpose.
This bill would also authorize those special taxes to be imposed by a qualified voter initiative. The bill would require the special election for a tax measure proposed by the board of directors or a qualified voter initiative to be consolidated with a statewide general election by the board of supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz
and would require the tax measure to be submitted to the voters in accordance with specified elections provisions. The bill would also require the county elections official for the County of Santa Cruz to serve as the elections official of the district for purposes of administering the ballot measure process and any election for purposes of specified provisions of law. To the extent that the bill would impose additional duties on a county elections official, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the
statutory provisions noted above.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF