BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 3
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Date of Hearing: May 27, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
3 (Williams) - As Amended May 5, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
Yes
SUMMARY:
This bill establishes the formation process, boundaries,
services, and governing body for the Isla Vista Community
Services District (District). Specifically, this bill:
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1)Requires the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors (Board
of Supervisors) to place the question of whether the District
shall be established on the next countywide election ballot.
2)Requires the Board of Supervisors to also place the candidates
for the five elected positions for the District's initial
board of directors (Board) on the ballot at the next
countywide election.
3)Requires the Board, if the District is formed pursuant to 1)
above, to place a utility user tax (UUT) on the ballot,
pursuant to a two-thirds voter approval.
4)Provides that the District is dissolved, if the voters of the
District do not vote to impose a UUT within the District on or
before January 1, 2027.
5)Requires the boundaries of the District to be contiguous with
the area known as the County Service Area No. 31 (CSA 31)
within Santa Barbara County (County) and requires the
District's boundaries to additionally include UCSB.
FISCAL EFFECT:
One-time potentially reimbursable County costs, likely less than
$150,000, to place the district formation question, and the
candidates for the initial board of directors, on the countywide
ballot.
COMMENTS:
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1)Purpose. According to the author, "Following several, tragic
events earlier this year, UCSB formed an advisory committee to
analyze the conditions and dynamics of [Isla Vista] and
develop mid- and long-term recommendations to establish a
viable, safe, supportive environment. Among their
recommendations is that the State of California create a
Community Services District/Municipal Improvement District in
Isla Vista.
"The current conditions in Isla Vista have reached a breaking
point. County government is not equipped to meet the critical
infrastructure and service needs of such a large and densely
populated population. With UCSB set to admit 5,000 more
students over the next 20 years to meet the state's growing
need for an educated workforce, a growing population is likely
to lead to further deterioration in conditions over time
without a direct, local self-governance structure in place to
provide the services that will meet [Isla Vista's] unique
needs."
2)Background. Isla Vista, located in the unincorporated area of
Santa Barbara, has a long history of seeking self governance.
There have been three separate cityhood efforts in 1972, 1975,
and 1983, and a failed effort to include Isla Vista in the
City of Goleta's incorporation; In 2001, the Santa Barbara
Local Agency Formation Commission commissioned a study to
examine the local government options for the unincorporated
area consisting of Isla Vista and UCSB.
The report states that, "The Isla Vista community encompasses
a population of over 20,000 residents. It is adjacent to UC
Santa Barbara campus and its student population. Including
University property, the area totals about 1,500 acres. Isla
Vista faces various challenges in local governance. For
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example, as a university town, Isla Vista must accommodate the
service needs associated with its transient student population
and a predominantly renter-oriented community. Isla Vista's
situation is complicated by its unincorporated status, which
limits local participation in managing public services and
providing needed public improvements."
In November of 2014, the UC Santa Barbara Foundation Trustees'
Advisory Committee on Isla Vista Strategies released a report
detailing problems and specific recommendations. The report
notes that "Isla Vista has been studied exhaustively for 45
years with at least nine formal reports by government
agencies, grand juries, and the University of California. All
reports reached the same conclusions, decade after decade.
3)Arguments in Support. Santa Barbara County Supervisors argue
that "County government is not designed nor does it have tools
readily available to finance and manage large, densely
populated urban areas. Santa Barbara County is already
spending millions of dollars each year into [Isla Vista] IV
that is not recovered by the property tax garnered from the
area. This bill allows for the creation of a CSD that will
meet the unique needs of Isla Vista, including additional
services above and beyond what the county can provide."
4)Arguments in Opposition. LAFCO argues that the District
should be required to go through the LAFCO process where a
financial feasibility study can be done. Additionally, the
California Taxpayers Association and the Howard Jarvis
Taxpayers Association argue that establishing a completely new
and precedent setting way for CSD's to increase revenue by
authorizing a UUT is not warranted.
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Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081