HISTORY

The Sacramento County Taxpayers’ League has played a major role in community taxpayer issues since its inception in 1961. The league researches tax issues, utility rates, and bond measures, as well as monitors the City and County annual budgets. When the league has had concerns about local government’s effectiveness, it has written letters to elected officials and local media, and has also testified at public meetings in support of its position on taxpayer-related issues.

The League is non-profit and non-partisan, and accepts no government funds. It is a diverse group of business, industrial, and professional organizations, as well as independent local citizens concerned with the community and the most effective use of local tax dollars.

Over the years, the League has made itself well-known to Sacramento communities’ business and political leaders as a strong representative of local taxpayers.

THE LEAGUE SUPPORTS

• Fiscal responsibility by elected public officials

• A two-thirds (2/3) vote for tax increases (the heart of proposition 13)

• Privatization

• The Gann Spending Limits

• Independent budget analysis and auditing

• Term Limits for elected official

THE LEAGUE OPPOSES

• Circumvention of Proposition 13

• Excessive pensions for public employees

• Excessive permit fees

• Taxes disguised as assessments and fees

PAST COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

During the past fifteen years, the league has been involved in a number of high profile issues, with some very satisfying results. Listed below are just some of the major projects it has participated in:

• 1994 - The water Forum, a 70-member organization that orchestrated over 200 interlocking agreements, and established a direction for water policy and water supply for Sacramento, El Dorado, and Placer Counties.

• 1998 - Led the coalition that defeated Measure “M,” a County ¼ cent sales tax increase that violated Proposition 218 by attempting to circumvent the 2/3 vote requirement for a special tax.

• 1999 - Stopped the City’s transfer of $10,000,000 in utility fees to the general fund; and ended a County transfer of $5 million, collected at waste transfer sites, to the general fund.

• 2000 - Stopped (with the support from other taxpayer groups) Proposition 26 from reducing voter requirement from 2/3 majority for local school bonds.

• 2001 - Qualified the first citizen initiative in the City of Sacramento in over 25 years, Measure “T.” It resulted in setting up a rebate program for local citizens.

• 2002 - Won a lawsuit against the County for violation of Proposition 62 (illegally passing a utility tax and hotel tax without voter approval)

• 2003 - Sacramento Transportation and Air Quality Collaborative- the League, working with SACOG and many other major planning agencies, maintains efforts to promote better transportation links between homes and jobs.

• 2004 - Successfully fought attacks on Proposition 13 by stopping Proposition 56, a proposed County utility tax earmarked for 2005.

• 2006 - Had high profile opposition to the attempted SMUD takeover of PG&E services in portions of Yolo County ( Measure “L” ) which would have affected Sacramento ratepayers too.

• 2006 - Fought against measures “Q” and “R,” which were City attempts to increase taxes and then build a new arena. Both “Q” and “R” were resoundingly defeated by voters.

TWENTY FIRST CENTURY ISSUES

As the League’s Staff and Board look ahead to the next few years, they are finding a changing demographic makeup not only in the Sacramento community , but also in the makeup of its own membership. Here are some current issues/projects with League involvement:

New Arena - The League is monitoring the progress of this proposed program that will NOT use taxpayer dollars.

Bond Oversite Committees- The  League has Board members on the Los Rios, City Unified and San Juan Bond Oversite Committees, overseeing how Bond money is spent on school capital projects.

Water Issues - The League has a long history of watching, and participating in, regional water issues.