An Assembly committee approved AB 213 Wednesday, following the testimony of two Santa Clarita Valley elected representatives who say the bill will restore local governments’ rightful share of vehicle license fees.
Santa Clarita Councilman Bob Kellar visited Sacramento Wednesday to voice support for AB 213 at a hearing held by the state Assembly’s Committee on Local Government.
Kellar was joined at the hearing by Assemblywoman Christy Smith, D-Santa Clarita, who joint-authored AB 213 with fellow Assemblywoman Eloise Reyes, D-San Bernardino, according to a news release sent Wednesday.
The bill proposes to revise the formula for allocating vehicle license fee adjustment amounts, so revenues will be restored to cities that have annexed developed areas since the implementation of Senate Bill 89, or will do so in the future, the release stated. Officials expect the legislation to have a direct impact on the Santa Clarita Valley and Assembly District 38.
“The loss in vehicle license fee revenues has required the city to reallocate resources from other programs to fund the maintenance for newly annexed areas,” Kellar said in his testimony, adding the city of Santa Clarita lost an estimated $390,000 annually in VLF revenues since 2011. But AB 213 would restore this lost revenue for the fiscal year in which the bill is signed and every year thereafter.
“We often tout California as the world’s fifth-largest economy, but it’s important to bring dollars back to our local jurisdictions,” Smith said, adding, “when our local economy flourishes, so do our people.”
Following the councilman and assemblywoman’s comments, the legislation was unanimously approved by the Assembly Committee on Local Government and is now slated to be sent to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.