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C. 66

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	John Kopchik, Director, Conservation & Development Department
Date:	October 5, 2021

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Resolution to Extend Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Fee and Authorize Ballot Measure

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 10/05/2021

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Jason Crapo, 925-655-2800

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: October 5, 2021
Monica Nino, County Administrator

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

1) ADOPT Resolution No. 2021/290 extending the Contra Costa County Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program and Fee for 10 years to April 30, 2032 and authorizing the Contra Costa County Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Service Authority to take all actions necessary to place a tax measure on the June 7, 2022 election ballot to extend the fee.
2) DIRECT the Department of Conservation and Development to conduct outreach to the Mayors Conference regarding this issue.

FISCAL IMPACT:

There is no cost to the County associated with approving the recommended actions. The estimated cost of placing the tax measure on the June 7, 2022 election ballot is approximately $500,000. This cost will be paid for from the annual revenues of the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Service Authority.

BACKGROUND:

In 1991, Contra Costa County and the cities within the County created the Contra Costa County Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Service Authority (Authority). The purpose of creating the Authority was to collect revenue from the State to remove abandoned vehicles from the community. All cities within the County participate in the Authority and are represented by city staff. The County is represented by the County Department of Conservation and Development, which also provides administrative support to the Authority.

For the past 30 years, this partnership between the County and the cities has generated millions of dollars in revenue to remove abandoned vehicles from communities in Contra Costa County. In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, the Authority received approximately $1.1M and facilitated the removal of 1,472 abandoned vehicles within Contra Costa County.

Revenue received by the Authority from the State comes from a $1 fee (Fee) collected for each vehicle, and an additional $2 collected for certain commercial vehicles, registered in the county. State law requires the Fee be reauthorized at the local level every ten (10) years. Reauthorization requires approval by the County Board of Supervisors by a two-thirds vote, and approval by a majority of the cities having a majority of the incorporated population within the county. The Fee is set to expire on April 30, 2022. This resolution would authorize the extension of the Fee until April 30, 2032.

The Fee also needs to be reauthorized by the voters of Contra Costa County. In 2010, the voters of California approved Proposition 26, which amended the definition of a "tax." The Fee collected to fund the Authority's activities is a special tax under Prop. 26, and the extension of the Fee requires an election and approval by two-thirds of county voters. Therefore, this resolution would authorize the Authority to submit a ballot measure to the County for inclusion on the June 7, 2022 election ballot, which is the next available election date. The cost of the election will be paid for from the revenues of the Authority.

To date, at least seven (7) other counties have proposed similar tax measures for abandoned vehicle abatement programs. Five measures have passed (Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Humboldt, Mendocino), and two measures have failed (Fresno and San Benito) resulting in program termination. At least five counties have voluntarily terminated their programs (Orange, Napa, San Diego, San Mateo, Shasta). Several more counties are considering ballot measures during the current 10-year reauthorization period. In the event a local measure to extend the Fee is not passed on the June 7, 2022 ballot, the Authority will cease to operate and will be discontinued.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If the recommended actions are not approved, the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program will discontinue and the County and the cities within the County will no longer receive over $1 million per year from the State to abate abandoned vehicles.