Backers of an initiative that would establish an alternative process for local government to impose fees for water, sewer, stormwater, and flood control services without voter approval have received authorization to begin gathering signatures, Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced.
The initiative authorizes fee structures that recover reasonable costs of providing service, encourage water conservation and resource management, and provide fee reductions for low-income households.
The initiative requires notice of and a public hearing on proposed fees and allows fee payers to prevent proposed fee by majority filing written protests.
The initiative prohibits use of fee revenues for other purposes and requires independent audit of revenues and expenditures.
If the initiative were to become law, it would result in increased local government revenues and spending for flood control services and stormwater management in the range of low hundreds of millions of dollars up to more than $1 billion annually, depending on future actions by local governing boards and voters, according to an analysis made by the Legislative Analyst’s Office and Department of Finance.
Valid signatures from 585,880 registered voters — 8 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the 2014 general election — must be submitted by Aug. 16 to qualify the measure for the November ballot, Padilla said Thursday.
—City News Service