Amador County – City Manager Mike Daly told the Jackson City Council that an Assembly Bill to help restore city and county funding has been sent to the Senate, but may need additional lobbying.
Alyson Huber’s Assembly Bill 1191, to restore Vehicle License Fee funds lost in Amador County and Mono County due to legislative changes has been approved by the California Assembly and is “now on the Senate side.”
Daly said “there is also a line item in the budget to backfill $4.4 million in funds lost in Mono and Amador Counties. But a legislative analyst said the counties still benefited from the “triple flip” funding mechanism because property taxes expanded at a greater rate than Vehicle License Fees.
Daly said the city should “ratchet up its lobbying down there,” in the Senate, and he noted that “it went through the Assembly without a single Nay vote.”
Reporting for Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison, who was absent Tuesday, Daly said the JPD had recent issues with a parolee, including one involved in a short vehicle chase that ended at Argonaut Heights, when the parolee fled on foot. He was later located in Pine Grove.
Daly also reported that another Americans with Disabilities Act litigant has been in town and is making lawsuit threats. He spoke with Amador County Chamber of Commerce President Mark Borchin about assisting businesses address the threats. Businesses must demonstrate that they are aware of the new ADA access laws and that they are making plans to comply, Daly said. He will try to talk to members of the Jackson Business & Community Association to get them involved.
Daly reported that the Indian Gaming Special Fund Committee had met, and the Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians will be funding communications upgrade equipment for the Jackson Police Department’s vehicles. The funds will be about half of what they were last year.
Councilman Keith Sweet reported that the Amador County Board of Supervisors approved $15,000 to be paid over three years for the “Save the Kennedy Mine Tailing Wheel” project. He also made a presentation to Sutter Creek City Council.
Councilman Wayne Garibaldi asked Sweet if the city had done any funding for the Wheel project, as he did not want to ask other entities to “do something that we had not already done ourselves.” Sweet said Jackson “put $25,000 in the kitty to get started, and I think we’ve spent about $1,200 of that so far.”
Sweet said Sutter Creek Council members wanted to get tickets for the fundraiser dinner April 14 at Thomi’s Restaurant, but tickets are sold out. He expected they might raise $60,000 at the dinner. The project needs $77,000 in matching funds for the grants received for the Save the Wheel project.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
