MEETING DATE: 5/24/2022
DEPARTMENT:
DEPT HEAD/DIRECTOR: Ray Espinosa
AGENDA ITEM PREPARER: Dulce Alonso
SBC DEPT FILE NUMBER: 156
SUBJECT:
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Approve letter supporting Assembly Bill 1773 (Patterson) would reinstate Williamson Act (Land Conservation Act) and delegate authority for the Chair to sign the letter.
SBC FILE NUMBER: 156
AGENDA SECTION:
CONSENT AGENDA
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY:
On the Board of Supervisors Meeting on May 10, 2022 the Board Requested a letter of support Assembly Bill 1773. Assembly Bill 1773 (Patterson) would reinstate Williamson Act (Land Conservation Act) subvention payments to counties through a $40 million dollar appropriation in the 2022-23 State budget. These payments to counties are in proportion to the losses incurred by those counties by reason of reduction in assessed property taxes for agricultural lands.
February 14, 2022 - The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) reports RCRC has expressed support for Assembly Bill 1773, authored by Assembly Member Jim Patterson (R-Fresno), which appropriates $40 million dollars in the 2022-23 budget for subvention payments to counties for tax revenues forgone due to participation in the California Land Conservation Act (Williamson Act).
As a state-established program that preserves agricultural and open space lands, The Williamson Act has been very effective in protecting over 16.5 million acres or nearly one-third of all privately-owned land in California.
The Williamson Act was intended to be a partnership among the state, counties, and landowners. However, State subventions have not been paid to counties since 2009.
Without these payments counties have struggled to fully fund public priorities, such as public safety staffing. The continued lack of state support threatens to reverse the decades of agricultural preservation and conservation gains under the Act.
RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE NEEDED FOR THIS ITEM:
No
CONTRACT NEEDED FOR THIS ITEM:
No
CONTRACT AND RFP HISTORY:
N/A
LAST CONTRACT AMOUNT OR N/A:
N/A
STATE IF THIS IS A NEW CONTRACT/ HOW MANY PAST AMENDED CONTRACTS/ OR N/A:
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS:
BUDGETED:
No
Budget Adjustment Needed: No
Unfunded Mandate (Is this a mandate not funded by the State): No