HomeMy WebLinkAboutSB 311 LTR to Padilla 20130507off.
city of s� is oBps
�� � OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
is O 990 Palm Street ■ San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3249 ■ 805/781-7119
May 7, 2013
VIA FACSIMILE ONLY 916-324-6645
The Honorable Alex Padilla
California State Senate
State Capitol Building, Room 4038
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: SB 311(Padilla). Local Elections. Charter and Charter Proposals.
NOTICE OF OPPOSITION
Dear Senator Padilla:
The City of San Luis Obispo must respectfully oppose your Senate Bill 311, which
would restrict charter cities' ability to amend their city charter. This bill mandates charter
cities hold elections on charter amendments or changes to the charter only on the two-year
state wide election cycle. This creates unintended consequences for charter cities, and
hampers our ability to govern effectively and efficiently. For example, when charter
amendments are needed to avoid litigation, deal with technical issues, or generate revenue,
delays of up to two years could result in financial distress or lawsuits. Moreover, such
legislation directly contradicts the authority of our city's charter and unnecessarily usurps
local control.
For these reasons, the City of San Luis Obispo opposes SB 311.
Sincerely,
Vl�
an Marx
Mayor
cc: City Council
Katie Lichtig, City Manager
Senator Bill Monning, fax 916-445-8081
Assembly Member Katcho Achadjian, fax 916-319-2135
David Mullinax, League of California Cities
Natasha Karl, League of California Cities, nkarl@cacities.org
Meg Desmond, League of California Cities, mdesmond@cacities.org