HomeMy WebLinkAboutARATA, MIKE 070720
FOR THE GOOD OF THE TOWN—PUBLIC COMMENT BY MIKE ARATA, 07-07-20:
Town Manager’s Unilateral SB1349 Endorsement BypassedDanville’s Legislative Framework
Town Manager Calabrigo’sApril 21letter endorsingCalifornia Senate Bill 1349—signed “on behalf
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of the Town of Danville” —ignored Danville’s established Legislative FrameworkTrying to defend
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his unilateral action, MrCalabrigoclaims authority from a Framework segment assigning“day to day
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oversight of legislative matters” to his office
But that authority is explicitly conditioned,assigningpre-endorsement review of new bills tothe
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“Legislative Committee,”a two-member subset of Town CouncilTheunambiguousobligations of
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that committeeinclude the following
1.“The committee will meet as frequently as monthly to review anddiscuss the Town’s
legislative platform and pending/possiblelegislation.”
But only one such meeting has occurred
this year, and itbegan 7 hours after my e-mailed June 23rd message enumeratingvarious failures to
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honor the Framework’s policy stipulations
2.“The committee will develop positions on pending or possible legislation and make
recommendations for consideration by the Town Council.”
If ever there was a legislative
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maneuver needing such consideration, it is SB1349But no suchpositions were developed, nor any
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recommendations forwarded for discussion and action by the Council
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Amongthebill’snumerous problems is that it plays cynical word games with existing lawIt decrees
arbitrarily that ourexistingminimum County-wide 1% local sales tax add-on is not tocount against the
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statutory 2% cap on such additions
The bill would also facilitate yet another run at the already twice-failed County transportation sales-tax
increase, though56% of Danville voters rejected the most recently failed versionon March 3rd—and
despite at least 9state and local transportation tax measures already passed since 1998, including
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the “bullet-train” boondoggle
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SoMrCalabrigo’s unilateral endorsement of legislation enablingyet another county transportation
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sales-tax increase campaign rejects the registered views of a majority of March 3 Danville voters
Meanwhile, SB 1349 also facilitates ageneralhalf-percent sales-tax increase, likely requiring only
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bare majority approvalcounty-wide, plus a 1% addition for the so-called FASTER initiative
3.:“Once a determination has been made that a legislative proposal may impact
Still quoting
the Town, a letter outlining the Town’s position will be drafted for the Mayor’s or Town
Manager’s signature.”
Again, despite the consequential elements of SB 1349, no determination or
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letter was forthcoming from the Legislative Committeeor Town Council —and MrCalabigo evidently
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acted without seeking one
4.“The committee will make regular reports to the Town Council at duly noticed public
meetings.”
Withno Legislative Committee meetings this year until June 23, there were no “regular
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reports”of proceedings, and no public notice that SB1349 was being considered for endorsement
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So MrCalabrigoignored explicit Legislative Framework requirementsAnd as I said two weeks ago,
Town Council should immediately rescind his unilateral endorsement of SB 1349, and subject any
further action regarding that legislation to publicly noticed Legislative Committee and Town Council
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discussionFailure to do so disregards the interests of the Danville citizens you purport to serve