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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04012003 - C25 .� s .. TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS '� " -` ' " CONTRA , COSTA FROM: Supervisor Gayle B.Uilkema `. COUNTY DATE: April 1,2003 , SUBJECT: Support for Continued Williamson Act Funding SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION($)• ADOPT the attached resolution to support full funding of the Open Space Subvention Program. (Williamson Act)by the State of California. BACKGROUND/REASON(S)FOR RECOMMENDATION(S): The Open Space Subvention Program (Williamson Act) allows private landowners to voluntarily contract with counties to keep their land in agriculture/open space in return for a lower property tax rate. Approximately 49,418 acres of agricultural land in Contra Costa County are under Williamson Act contracts(as of 2001). In his budget, the Governor proposes to permanently eliminate the Williamson Act subvention. Statewide, counties will lose $38.6 million to compensate for lost property tax revenues and the cost of administering the Williamson Act. Contra Costa County would lose approximately$75,400. Loss of Williamson Act subventions will not have a material impact on Contra Costa County's overall budget. However, for some rural counties, it is a substantial portion of their general fund revenues. The rural counties have requested support in their efforts to ensure continuance of the Williamson Act subvention. As of March 20, 2003, 34 counties had adopted such resolutions. The adoption of the resolution by Contra Costa County will demonstrate our concern for our sister counties and solidarity in the collective effort to protect county general purpose revenues. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: —YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR_RECOMMEN TION OF'BOA6COMMITTEE APPROVE —OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ONr1APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VQJE OF SUPERVISORS X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT NOM ) AYES: NOES: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A ABSENT: ABSTAIN: -- ) TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN DISTRICT III SEAT VACANT ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN, Contact:Sara Hoffman,335-9090 ATTESTEDri 7 1,20030 cc: CAO JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF CSAC THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Rural Counties Caucus P - ANC1 CO AM, I$TRATOR Suburban CouCounties es Caucus ,�'� DEPUTY Urban Caunttes Caucus gY,��; �, ,� THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY; CALIFORNIA PASSE©by the following vote of the Board of Supervisors on this first day of April 2003 AYES: GIoIA, tr:tr and i)e&vmqm NOES: Nom ABSENT: Nme ABSTAIN: None "District in-C at mr c t- RESOLUTION NO. 20031199 Subject: Support Full Funding of the Open Space Subvention Program (Williamson Act) WHEREAS,the California Land Conservation Act of 1965,popularly known as the Williamson Act, is a voluntary program which provides lower property taxes to agricultural landowners in exchange for their contractual commitments with participating cities or counties to keep their land in agricultural or open space uses for at least 10 years; and WHEREAS, the Williamson Act currently protects over 16.3 million acres of agricultural land, much of it having scenic open spade and wildlife value,and over half of the state's prime farmland in 52 counties is protected by the Act; and WHEREAS, in 1998, the Act was amended to provide for the establishment of the Farmland Security Zones, commonly referred to as the Super Williamson Act, which allows landowners to receive an additional tax reduction if they keep the property in the conservation program for at least 20 years; and WHEREAS,the 1971 Open Space Subvention Act provides a formula for allocating payments to local governments based on acreage enrolled in the program, to help replace the foregone property tax revenue to participating local government; and WHEREAS, this financial support from the state has provided a tangible incentive for local governments to stay in the program and initiate more contracts; and WHEREAS, in 1993, the Legislature and then-Governor Wilson augmented the open space subventions as a means to help rural counties deal with the creation of the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund; and WHERE=AS, the Governor's proposal for the 2003-04 State Budget includes permanent elimination of the Williamson Act subvention to Counties (approximately $38.6 million statewide);and WHEREAS, eliminating the open space subvention payments will remove the incentive for counties to participate in the program, potentially leading some counties to non-renew Williamson Act contracts due to the lack of financial resources to support the continuation of property tax incentives for landowners; and WHEREAS, without the financial incentive for farmers to participate in this important land conservation program, other more lucrative land uses may be considered, thus threatening the overall viability of California's agricultural economy; and WHEREAS, the integrity of the Williamson Act as a planning tool used to support general plan and zoning objectives, prevent leapfrog development and to promote orderly growth will be threatened; and NOW THEREFORE, RE IT RESOLVED that Contra Costa County joins the California State Association of Counties(CSAC) and other California counties in supporting continued full funding of the Open Space Act Subventions Program and urges the Governor and Members of the State Legislature to restore subvention funding to the 2003®04 State Budget, thus preventing the potential decimation of the state's premier farmland protection program. RESOLUTION 20031199 Mage 1 of 2 : :. rti y t sa. ruq and correct py of ars action taiv- ? and entered on the minutes of the Board o; Supervisors on the date shown. JOHN SWEETEN, Clerk of the Board . ,jand,,r aml, Deputy ,y {