Protect Funding for Critical Safety Net Services
A portion of the property tax revenue goes to the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF) to support local school districts. When the amount contributed to ERAF is more than the minimum cost of funding local schools, excess funds are returned to the County, Cities, and Special Districts.
The Counties of Santa Clara and San Mateo are two of the five “excess ERAF” counties in the state. The Governor’s Office is proposing to move “ERAF” to the State Department of Finance. Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties as well as their Cities and Special Districts would face significant revenue cuts if the Governor’s plan passes the legislature. This would threaten vital services such as housing/homelessness prevention, domestic violence intervention, social services, legal services, senior services, and mental health. Equally concerning, the cities stand to lose tens of millions in annual, ongoing funds. Funding will be at risk for nonprofit agencies that provide child care, legal services, senior meals, homelessness prevention, and other social services.
Given how impacted and fragile local government budgets are in this time of great financial stress, this move will shred the safety net that our local government and nonprofit agencies are struggling to hold together. This is not the time to cut away much-needed local funding.
See below how you can help NOW!
***Phone calls are important given how quickly this item is moving:
Call the Governor’s Office at 1-916-445-2841***
CALL SCRIPT:
My name is ______________, and I am calling to request that the State not take the excess ERAF funds that are supposed to be allocated to the Counties of Santa Clara and San Mateo.
The Bay Area counties use these funds together with nonprofit agencies to provide vital safety net services for housing, child care, senior services, mental health, and other social services. This move will shred the safety net that our local government and nonprofit agencies are struggling to hold together. This is not the time to cut away much-needed local funding. Don’t destroy our local safety net by taking back excess ERAF funds. Please stand with our community so we can protect our most vulnerable residents.
Thank you.
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USE THIS LETTER AS A TEMPLATE:
June 11, 2020
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor
State of California
1303 10th Street, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: Proposed Amendment to Revenue and Taxation Code Section 97.3 in Education Omnibus Trailer Bill with May Revision Amendments – Oppose
Dear Governor Newsom,
I write in strong opposition to the proposal to retroactively shift property taxes from counties, cities, and special districts, and apply civil penalties to audited, good-faith actions of county officials.
The proposed actions would result in a devastating financial blow to the Counties of Santa Clara and San Mateo, their cities, and their nonprofit partners. The diversion of the “excess ERAF” fund threatens vital services toward housing/homelessness prevention, domestic violence intervention, social services, legal services, senior services, and mental health. Equally concerning, the cities stand to lose tens of millions in annual, ongoing funds.
Given how impacted and fragile local government budgets are in this time of great financial stress, this move will shred the safety net that our local government and nonprofit agencies are struggling to hold together. This is not the time to cut away much-needed local funding. Don’t destroy our local safety net by taking back excess ERAF funds. Please stand with our community so we can protect our most vulnerable residents.
Sincerely,
HOW TO SEND YOUR LETTER
Send via email:
governor@governor.ca.gov
ann.oleary@gov.ca.gov (cc: Chief of Staff)
AND forward your letter to these legislators via email:
Assembly Budget Committee Chair Ting:
assemblymember.ting@assembly.ca.gov
irene.ho@asm.ca.gov (cc: Chief of Staff)
State Senator Budget and Fiscal Committee Chair Mitchell:
senator.mitchell@senate.ca.gov
tiffani.alvidrez@sen.ca.gov (cc: Chief of Staff)
Toni Atkins, Senate President Pro Tempore
senator.atkins@senate.ca.gov
nick.hardeman@sen.ca.gov (cc: Chief of Staff)
Anthony Rendon, CA State Assembly Speaker
assemblymember.rendon@assembly.ca.gov
carrie.cornwell@asm.ca.gov (cc: Chief of Staff)