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RESOLUTION URGING THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE NOT TO PASS �TABOR� LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PROPOSE TO EMBED IN THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION REVENUE CAPS ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

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WHEREAS, in the last few years, the Florida Legislature and the Florida Taxation & Budget Reform Commission have considered legislation that would embed in the Florida Constitution rigid caps on the growth of revenues of school districts, counties and cities, referred to as the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) initiative; and
WHEREAS, TABOR would limit the growth in property tax revenues for such governments based on the percentage change in the consumer price index and population growth or in the case of school districts, changes in school enrollment; and
WHEREAS, TABOR would prohibit local governments from imposing any new taxes, fees, assessments or charges for services without first obtaining a supermajority (two-thirds) vote of the public; and
WHEREAS, TABOR in Florida is modeled after legislation passed in Colorado in 1992 that proved to be devastating in many areas, including public education and public health, and insufficient to fund the ongoing costs of Colorado government; and
WHEREAS, by creating a permanent revenue shortage, Colorado TABOR pitted advocates for state programs and services against each other for survival each year and virtually ruled out any new initiatives to address unmet or emerging needs; and

WHEREAS, as a result of TABOR, Colorado declined from 23rd to 48th in the nation in the percentage of pregnant women receiving adequate access to prenatal care, Colorado fell from 24th to 50th in the nation in the share of children receiving their full vaccinations, and the share of low-income children lacking health insurance doubled in Colorado so that it now ranks last among the 50 states on this measure; and
WHEREAS, as a result of TABOR, Colorado�s K-12 education funding dropping from 35th to 49th in the nation, college and university funding as a share of personal income fell from 35th to 48th in the nation; and
WHEREAS, these declines in public services were so drastic that in November, 2005, the people of Colorado voted to suspend TABOR for five years; and
WHEREAS, despite the experience with TABOR in Colorado, the Florida Legislature considered similar legislation during the 2009 regular session; and
WHEREAS, House Joint Resolution 1263 (HJR 1263) and Senate Joint Resolution 1906 (SJR 1906) would have placed on the 2010 statewide ballot an amendment that would embed TABOR in the Florida Constitution, but these proposals did not pass during the 2009 session; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Taxation & Budget Reform Commission also considered a similar proposal during its meetings in 2007 and 2008, Constitutional Proposal 45, and decided against placing a TABOR on the statewide ballot; and

WHEREAS, while HJR 1263, SJR 1906 or CP 45 did not pass, TABOR legislation is likely to be filed for consideration during the 2010 session; and
WHEREAS, TABOR would severely limit the options of locally elected officials in making responsible budgetary decisions; and
WHEREAS, while TABOR was a not a good idea during good economic times, TABOR would prove to be devastating during difficult economic times, such as the current economic downturn; and
WHEREAS, this County�s recent experience grappling with a difficult revenue and budget situation well illustrates that local governments need more flexibility and options to address their revenue and budget situations, not less,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the Florida Legislature not to pass TABOR legislation that would propose to embed in the Florida Constitution rigid revenue caps on cities, counties and school districts.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the Governor, Senate President, House Speaker, and the Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade County State Legislative Delegation.
Section 3. Directs the County's state lobbyists to advocate against the legislation set forth in Section 1 above, and authorizes and directs that the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs amend the 2010 State Legislative Package to include this item.