Amador County – Amador County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to advise Supervisor Chairman Louis Boitano to remain neutral and abstain from voting on Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget ballot initiative during the next board of directors meeting of the California State Association of Counties.

Supervisors also voted 5-0 to instruct Boitano to not vote in favor of Brown’s initiative, and also to not vote in support of CSAC’s own proposed initiative.

Brown appeared at the last CSAC meeting and asked CSAC to support the budget and higher taxes, Boitano said, and “I need to know what your direction to me is.”

Supervisor Richard Forster said: “I’m not sure I like some of the fixes, quite frankly.” Boitano said it exempts some impacts for smaller counties. Forster said it offers enough bones to interest people, but “we are not being helped enough” on the State Response Area fees.

Supervisor John Plasse noted that the CSAC initiative would cost about $1 million and cause an increase in membership dues to offset that loss.

Supervisor Ted Novelli said: “Asking rural counties to pay these SRA fees is pretty wrong,” and older population in Amador County and other small counties is impacted. Novelli said: “I’d like to say no, or stay neutral and see what happens. If push comes to shove, I’d say no.”

Forster said the governor feels SRA fees are a legitimate way to fund the Cal-Fire, but “that’s still double taxes on rural counties.” Forster said that’s when the governor said his SRA “position is in concrete.”

Plasse said the state is chasing producers out of the state, and higher taxes will not help. Boitano said the state keeps saying they are going to have layoffs but he hasn’t seen any.

Supervisor Brian Oneto, who dissented in the vote, said “the people in my district, the majority by far think we’ve been taxed enough already.” He said the state has high salaries and high pensions, and even if it is a temporary, five-year tax, the state will be in the same position down the road. Oneto said: “I’m opposed to any new taxes.”

Foster said, “In a perfect world, I would agree with you, but we’re talking about Sacramento.” Boitano said he thought it would pass CSAC, but he supported abstention.

Forster said “a lot of rural counties would like to make a statement but they’re looking at reality.”

Boitano said “It’s like we’re in the eagle’s claw.” He said: “Under no circumstances will I vote for the governor’s initiative,” and “I do not want (CSAC) to take up our own initiative. It’s not feasible and it’s too much expense.” He said “the governor has raised quite a war chest on this initiative – whether or not it passes remains to be seen.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.