AB 709: Sacramento Regional Transit District.

Existing law provides for the creation of the Sacramento Regional Transit District, with specified powers and duties relative to the provision of public transit services. Existing law describes the authorized boundaries of the district. Existing law provides for the district to be governed by a board of directors and provides for a weighted voting procedure. Existing law authorizes the board of directors of the district to adopt a retail transactions and use tax ordinance, subject to the approval of ²/₃ of the electors at a special election. Existing law requires the districts retail transactions and use tax ordinance to provide for rates of ¹/₄ or ¹/₂ of 1% and requires that the ordinance be operative on the first day of the first calendar quarter commencing less than 180 days after adoption of the ordinance.

This bill would revise and recast these and other related provisions. The bill would modify the description of the authorized boundaries of the district and provide that the district is a rapid transit district, as defined. The bill would specify that certain property and facilities used by the district are transit works and facilities, and constitute public works for the purposes of the Public Contract Code. The bill would modify the definition of a quorum as applied to meetings of the board. The bill would authorize the district to publish ordinances on its Internet Web site as an alternative to newspaper publication. The bill would authorize the board secretary to be a district employee appointed by the board.

The bill would authorize a public agency to contract with the district to provide transit facilities and services for the public agency. The bill would provide that laws, or rules or regulations, of this state inconsistent with the laws, or rules and regulations, of the United States, shall not apply to the acquisition, construction, maintenance, or operation of transit facilities funded by the United States, to the extent of the inconsistency, if that inconsistency may result in a loss of federal funding. The bill would modify the districts powers to impose a retail transactions and use tax by ordinance to authorize rates in increments of ¹/₈ of 1% and would require that the ordinance be operative on the first day of the first calendar quarter commencing more than 150 days after adoption of the ordinance. The bill would require the district to provide to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, within 45 days of the approval of the ordinance by the voters, a complete alphabetical list of all streets within the affected unincorporated area under its jurisdiction, maintain that list on its Internet Web site, and provide a legal description and a map or plat, as specified. The bill would make other related changes.