HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11291988 - IO.8 TO* BOARD OF SUPERVISORS I. 0. 8
FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE VIJI IIIA
DATE:
November 14, 1988 Costa
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STATUS REPORT ON AN INCREASE IN THE ` /Ullty
suBJECT. EXCISE TAX ON ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES .
SPEC I F I C REQUEST S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOM4ENDATIONS
1 . Request the County Administrator to proceed with plans to
have representatives of the alcoholic beverage industry meet
with the Internal Operations Committee to discuss the basis
for an agreement to increase the excise tax on alcoholic
beverages by a mutually acceptable amount.
2 Request the County Administrator, County Counsel, and Health
Services Director to draft proposed legislation to increase
the excise tax on alcoholic beverages with the proceeds to
be dedicated . to programs which address the problems caused
by abuse of alcoholic beverages and seek an author to
introduce such legislation as early as possible in the
1989-90 legislative session and forward this legislation to
the Board_ of Supervisors for their approval as, soon as
possible.
3 . Request the Health Services Director to schedule a meeting
with appropriate community leaders, members of the
Alcoholism Advisory Board, Drug Abuse Board, and Internal
Operations Committee to plan a strategy for both legislation
to increase the excise tax on alcoholic beverages and an
initiative campaign in case legislation is unsuccessful.
4 . Request the Health Services Director to undertake the other
assignments outlined in the Board' s Order on this subject
dated August 16, 1988 .
5 . Request the Health ,, Services Director and County
Administrator to report , to the 1989 Internal Operations
Committee on progress on this referral in February 1989.
6 . Remove this item as a referral to our Committee.
BACKGROUND-
On August 16, 1988, the Board of Supervisors approved a report
from our Committee on the possibility of increasing1the excise
tax on alcoholic beverages.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE:
_ RECOMMEND TION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR X RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
X APPROVE OTHER /w��
SIGNATURE s : Sunne W. McPeak Tom Torlakson
'
ACTION OF BOARD ON November 29, 1988 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TARN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
cc: County Administrator ATTESTED 079 /9SP
County Counsel PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
Health Services Director SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
M382/7-83 BY .z� ,DEPUTY
Page 2
With the passage of Proposition 99, increasing the tax on tobacco
products, there appears to be clear evidence that the ivoters will
approve increases in the "sin taxes" , with the proceeds dedicated
to address the health problems created by the abuse of tobacco.
We believe that the same is true of increases in the excise tax
on alcoholic beverages, if the proceeds of the tax are dedicated
to addressing the problems of society which are created by abuse
of alcoholic beverages.
The attached memo was reviewed with our Committee by staff from
the County Administrator' s Office on November 14, 1988. We want
to proceed with meetings with the representatives of the
alcoholic beverage industry. We are, however, aware that it may
not be possible to reach an agreement with the representatives of
the industry to increase the excise tax. If such an agreement is
not possible, we also recognize that an effort to achieve
legislation to increase the excise tax on alcoholic beverages is
highly unlikely. In this case, an initiative effort may be the
only realistic mechanism to achieve an increase in the excise tax
on alcoholic beverages with the proceeds dedicated to law
enforcement, prevention, treatment and health care services which
attempt to address the problems created by alcohol abuse.
We have, therefore, recommended that we proceed on both fronts at
once--both legislation which will give the Legislature an
opportunity to increase the excise tax and an initiative effort
if legislation fails in 1989.
r �
OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
I
Administration Building
Martinez, California
Supervisor Sunne McPeak
To: Supervisor Tom Torlakson Date: November 10, 1988
From: Claude . L. Van Marter Subject: Increase in the Excise Tax
Assistant Administra on Alcoholic Beverages
On your agenda for your meeting on November 14, 1988 are several
reports relating to the possibility of increasing the excise tax
on alcoholic beverages. This office was asked to report to your
Committee on the feasibility of meeting with representatives of
the beer, wine and distilled spirits industries regarding an
increase in the excise tax on alcoholic beverages. In addition,
this office was asked to include in the Board' s legislative
program for 1989 the possibility of increasing the excise tax.
We have discussed with our lobbyist in Sacramento the possibility
of setting up a meeting between the members of the Internal
Operations Committee and representatives of the beer, wine and
distilled spirits industries. We have decided to go through our
lobbyist because they also represent one of the major beer
manufacturers in the State. They are presently discussing with
this other client their willingness to meet with your Committee.
We had hoped to have an answer in time for this meeting. We do
not yet have an answer regarding the possibility of setting up
such a meeting, but expect to in the very near future and will
advise your Committee as soon as such arrangements have been
made.
We have included in the draft 1989 Legislative Program for the
Board of Supervisors the possibility of sponsoring legislation to
increase the excise tax on alcoholic beverages. This proposed
program will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on December
6, 1988, at which time the Board Members may wish to discuss the
extent to which they want to pursue such legislation in 1989 .
Unless your Committee is able to reach some type of agreement in
advance with the industry representatives, it is highly unlikely
that any amount of lobbying will be successful in achieving an
increase in the excise tax over the objections of the industry.
The remaining option then would be an initiative measure similar
to Proposition 99 on the November 8 ballot which was successfully
passed despite an intense negative campaign on the part of the
tobacco industry.
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