ACWA Supports Local Government's Call for Backfill of Lost VLF Revenues; Statewide Local Services Crisis Pending Legislature's Action.

News Editors/Business Editors

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 2003

The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today announced its support to quickly reinstate revenues to local governments as a result of the Vehicle License Fee (VLF) reduction. The VLF payments help cities and counties finance critical local services such as public safety, health and vital infrastructure, including water storage, water delivery and sewage system maintenance. Local governments cannot properly serve the residents of California without the VLF backfill and ACWA is seeking immediate resolution from lawmakers to avert the pending crisis.

"Our lawmakers must deliver the required VLF backfill to cities and counties or risk facing another crisis of great proportions - a lack of public health and safety in every city and county in California," said ACWA Executive Director Steve Hall.

ACWA is working closely with cities and counties through the Leave Our Community Assets Local (LOCAL) coalition to ensure lawmakers recognize the impact of budget proposals on the constituents they were elected to represent. ACWA is a contributing member of LOCAL, which is made up of more than 300 organizations around the state representing local governments, local services and businesses.

"Local government is a family that provides services to keep cities, counties and special districts thriving," said Hall. "We are outraged by the attempts to short change local governments, which offer the best form of direct government service to Californians."

ACWA supports and applauds initial language introduced to appropriate the backfill, such as SBX51 (Brulte), ABX53 (Cox) and ABX57 (Lowenthal). Passage of any of these measures - or any similar measure - is necessary to protect vital local services upon which California residents rely. To ensure passage of such language, ACWA will be contacting lawmakers in Sacramento.

"The service local governments provide to our communities is the foundation of our state's economy. Without the VLF backfill, Californians will be forced to live with a lower quality of life," said Hall.

ACWA's 447 public agency members are collectively responsible for more than 90 percent of the water delivered in California for residential and agricultural uses.