Assembly Standing Committee on Local Government

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Okay. Today we have eight items on the agenda this afternoon. Six of those items are proposed for consent. Item Number Three: SB 566 by Senator Jones, Item Four: SB 825 by Senator Limon, Item Five: SB 878 by the Governance and Finance Committee, Item Six: SB 879 by the Governance and Finance Committee, Item Seven: SB 880 by the Governance and Finance Committee, Item Eight: SJR 3 by Senator Roth.

We will hear all bills in the order as shown and on our agenda unless otherwise noted. We only have two bills today. We will take up the two primary witnesses in support and the two primary witnesses in opposition. These witnesses will have three minutes each to provide their testimony. All subsequent witnesses should state their name, their organization, and their position on the bill. So we don't have a quorum--there was one, anyway--so we don't have a quorum yet.

So we'll operate as a subcommittee until we are able to establish a quorum. The first item we will hear today is Senator Dodd, and that is Item Number Two, and this is Item File Two: SB 329, and begin when you feel comfortable.

Thank you, Madam Chair and Members. First, I would like to thank the Chair and the Committee staff for the work on this bill. SB 329 updates the base compensation amounts for city council members in general law cities. These amounts have not been raised by the Legislature since 1984. No one runs for City Council to get rich, but the low levels of pay make it much harder for them to balance their careers and personal obligations with the calling to serve their communities.

As mentioned, the Legislature has not raised the base pay amounts for city council members in almost 40 years. In my district and in much of our state, we've seen the cost of living dramatically increase. It's time that those amounts get caught up with present economic reality, especially with the rapid increase in inflation we've seen recently. Raising the pay will also make it easier for our marginalized communities to serve--members of our marginalized communities to serve.

We also know that the increase in cost of housing, transportation, childcare, and other basic necessities falls hardest on those communities. We need to make it easier for people, for all income levels and backgrounds to serve. City councils should be reflective of the communities they represent, and I believe raising the compensation is an important step to achieve that equitable outcome. I would like to introduce Rohnert Park Mayor, Samantha Rodriguez to speak in support of this bill.

Senator, since we have a quorum, if you don't mind, we're going to take the roll real quick like and please feel free to sit down. You can have a seat. Both of you. Okay. Secretary, please call the roll.

Aguiar-Curry? Here. Aguiar-Curry, present. Dixon? Present. Dixon, present. Boerner? Pacheco? Here. Pacheco, present. Ramos? Here. Ramos, present. Rivas? Waldron? Here. Waldron, present. Wilson? Here. Wilson, present.

Okay, we have a quorum, and so the witnesses in support, if you'd like to speak, feel free.

Hi. Good afternoon, Chair and Members. My name is Samantha Rodriguez. I am the current mayor of Rohnert Park and I happen to be the youngest for our council to ever serve, sworn in at the age of 32, and currently the youngest for the County of Sonoma. I am in support of this. I also would like it to be known that this is something that I actually wouldn't benefit from because I won't be able to run consecutively.

I have taken time off of my regular job as Executive Director of a nonprofit to come and advocate for my other full time job which is being a council member and mayor for our city. I think this bill is important because not only will it allow our cities to provide a little bit more financial support--as Senator Dodd mentioned, we don't get into this to get rich--but it is helpful and it allows for equitability to be accessible.

It's able for students to participate, parents to participate and provide what is needed so that they can provide a different form of lens when ordinances are being brought about or budget is being overviewed and put into place. Currently our City Council, I am again the first Latina on the heels of our first African woman mayor. We now look like our city in that we represent students, parents, single income, median income, and median age.

So I would hope that you all are able to look at this and pull it forward. I think it'll be incredible, and as Senator Dodd mentioned, it has not been looked at since 1984 and that is five years before I was even born. So in my lifetime, city council members have not been able to have this or have the municipalities have the ability to be able to raise it. Again, we're not looking to make millions, but we are looking to be able to have the ability and the equitability to serve our communities.

Great. Thank you very much.

Good morning, Chair. Good afternoon, Chair and Members. Johnnie Pina with the League of California Cities, proud sponsors of SB 329, and here to answer any questions should there be any. Thank you.

Great. Thank you very much. Okay. Are there any witnesses in opposition to SB 329? Seeing none, are there any other witnesses in the audience support or oppose? I'll take both.

Good afternoon. Kyra Ross on behalf of the Marin County Council of Mayors and Council Members in support.

Thank you. I don't see anyone else. Are there any questions from the Committee? Yes. Oh, Assembly Member Wilson. Welcome.

Thank you. Thank you to the author, and thank you to those standing in support of this. To the author, this is a really good bill. It really is about good governance, as was noted from Madam Mayor here in terms of equity on a council, but just noting, having served in local government for 12 years of a smaller city, recognizing that it's so important at the local level to have diversity of thought and part of that is having people on the council from different socioeconomic background.

It shouldn't be that just your retired people with a pension or wealthy elite gets to serve in local government. It should be that that person who happens to work at a fast food joint can serve on local government and have the ability to and the amount of time that you spend--a lot of times things, like, 'well you're only meeting twice a month,' but really, all the background that goes into serving just to be prepared for those twice a month meetings or the amount of time that has gone into to prepare to be able to serve on all the other committees outside of just your regular have to be a council meetings, it's a lot of time commitment and plus all the events, and you still got to kiss all the babies too.

And so, it's not that it's an astronomical amount, but it does give a measure to recognizing the amount of service that is put forth, and so I appreciate you updating the language and hopefully that it won't take another lifetime to continue to update this, and it's something that the Assembly looks at regularly. I didn't see that it was regularly in there already. Did you include that in the--

The CPI?

Well, the CPI has the five percent or greater, but that baseline because as we know, over time that jumps and not every council does it every year so it is something that the minimum floor might have to be addressed in future years, but it definitely is worthwhile, and so at the appropriate time, I'd like to make that motion.

Great. Thank you very much. Any other questions? Okay. So we have a motion by Assembly Member Wilson and a second by Assembly Member Ramos. Would you like to make another comment?

Thank you, Chair. Does this apply to only general law cities or charter cities or charter cities are left to do what they would want to do? How does it apply to different cities?

Certainly happy to answer that. It does only apply to generalized cities because charter cities already have the authority to adjust as they'd wish.

Right. Okay, and then if a council were to follow that procedure that you specify in the bill, is there any consideration that it takes effect after the present council is seated so they're not voting for their own salary?

Sure. It's my understanding that that provision is already built into existing law to where it'd be the next cycle.

Very good. Okay. Thank you very much.

Any other questions? All right, we have a motion and we have a second. I have a quick comment. Thank you, Senator Dodd, for bringing this forward. I love local government, but you know what? Making only 100 dollars a month with no travel reimbursement, anything, it's very difficult to get really good, willing people to run when there's no--some kind of compensation. Again, we're not asking for a lot. We're just asking to kind of keep it fair.

So, again, thank you for bringing the bill forward, and I'll be voting aye. The motion is 'do pass to the floor.' Secretary, please call the roll.

Aguiar-Curry? Aye. Aguiar-Curry, aye. Dixon? Aye. Dixon, aye. Boerner? Pacheco? Aye. Pacheco, aye. Ramos? Aye. Ramos, aye. Rivas? Waldron? Aye. Waldron, aye. Wilson? Aye. Wilson, aye.

The vote is six/zero and the bill is out. We'll add on when others come back.

Thank you, Madam Chair and Members. Appreciate it.

Thank you very much.

And Staff. Thank you very much.

You have a motion by Assembly Member Pacheco, a second by Assembly Member Wilson for the consent calendar. Consent calendar, let me remind you, is Item Three: SB 566, Item Four: SB 825, Item Five: SB 878, Item Six: SB 879, Item Seven: SB 880, and Item Eight: SJR 3. Secretary.

Aguiar-Curry? Aye. Aguiar-Curry, aye. Dixon? Aye. Dixon, aye. Boerner? Pacheco? Aye. Pacheco, aye. Ramos? Aye. Ramos, aye. Rivas? Aye. Rivas, aye. Waldron? Aye. Waldron, aye. Wilson? Aye. Wilson, aye. Seven/zero.

Okay, that vote is seven/zero, and that too, is out. Okay. We're waiting for Senator Laird. He's on his way, so everyone have a little patience here. We're going to go ahead and open up Assembly Member Rivas for Item Number Two: SB 829.

Rivas? Aye. Rivas, aye.

Okay. That's out seven/zero. Welcome Senator Laird. It's a pleasure to have you here today. Would you like to present your bill?

Yes. Thank you.

Item Number One: SB 304.

I was able to make all the motions at the beginning of the 1:30 Rules Committee Meeting and then run out.

We appreciate it.

Thank you for being able to accommodate me. So I'm presenting Senate Bill 304 which is for the Monterey-Salinas Transit District. I want to thank the Committee staff for working with my office and the sponsor on this measure, and I'll be accepting the Committee amendment. This is a district bill. It updates the cost threshold for small purchases made by the Monterey-Salinas Transit District to adjust for rising costs under existing law.

They can utilize an expedited procurement process without going through the full competitive bidding process for purchases under 100,000. This hasn't been updated in 13 years. It doesn't reflect rising costs and inflation. This bill would move that threshold to 150,000. It has broad support from several cities and counties that are served by this. There's no opposition. Here to speak in support is Matt Robinson on behalf of the Monterey-Salinas Transit District, and at the appropriate moment, I would respectfully request an aye vote.

Welcome, Matt.

Thank you, Madam Chair. As the Senator mentioned, I'm Matt Robinson with Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer and Lange on behalf of the Monterey-Salinas Transit District. I'm going to stop and say I'm happy to answer any questions. I know you all have seen a number of these bills in recent years, as noted in the analysis, but we are a small agency and this does enable us to stretch our dollar a bit further when we have these options in front of us. So thank you, and also respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you very much. We have a motion and a second. Assembly Member Wilson, motion; second by Assembly Member Ramos. Are there any other witnesses in support of this bill? Any in opposition to SB 304? All right. Seeing none, are there any questions of the Committee? Yes. Did you have--that's great. That's why we're a family. Okay. Is there any questions? None in--entertainment of the motion. Okay. Well, then, would you like to close?

I appreciate the tag team, and respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Okay. Thank you, Senator Laird. Thank you for working with the Committee with the amendments. I am pleased to support your bill. The motion is 'do pass as amended to the Appropriations Committee.' Secretary, please call the roll.

Aguiar-Curry? Aye. Aguiar-Curry, aye. Dixon? Aye. Dixon, aye. Boerner? Pacheco? Aye. Pacheco, aye. Ramos? Aye. Ramos, aye. Rivas? Aye. Rivas, aye. Waldron? Aye. Waldron, aye. Wilson? Aye. Wilson, aye. Seven/zero.

Bill's out; seven/zero, and we'll see if anyone wants to add on in a minute. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

You're welcome.

All right. Let's start with the consent calendar.

Boerner? Aye. Boerner, aye. Eight/zero.

Out eight/zero. Consent calendar. Item One: SB 304, Laird.

Boerner? Aye. Boerner, aye. Eight/zero.

Bill's out; eight/zero. Item Number Two: SB 329.

Boerner? Aye. Boerner, aye. That's eight/zero.

Bill's out eight/zero. Let's see what else I have. Oh, and as a correction, as the consent went out, I said eight/zero. It's actually seven/zero. Wait a minute. That's wrong. Hold on. Let's verify. We're good. So the consent calendar is out eight/zero. Anything else? All right, adjourn the Local Government Committee. Thank you very much.