Duarte City Council Needs Your Help! Contact Local State Officials Now and Tell Them To Adopt a State Budget Now!
Duarte City Council members are gravely concerned about the state budget stalemate gripping the Legislature and they need your help. "People were elected to make the tough decisions, including compromise for resolution, not a stalemate that throws the baby out with the bathwater", said Mayor John Fasana during the January 27th City Council discussion on the state budget.
It is easy to get your thoughts heard in our ever expanding electronic age and let State officials know that Duarte Taxpayers are extremely concerned about the State’s fiscal problems and how it will affect both their families and fellow residents. Please contact both Assembly member Anthony Portantino 626-577-9944
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and State Senator Gloria Romero 323-881-0100
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and express your concerns. The following talking points are current scenarios should the stalemate continue:
• People who file their state income tax returns and are owed refunds. The state isn't legally obligated to issue refunds until May 31. IOU’s are being considered.
• Counties will be out $236 million for running public assistance programs. The counties will have to make up the loss by spending their reserves, trying to borrow the money, or closing down some services and risking lawsuits. Los Angeles County officials said Monday that the county will lose about $1.4 billion over the next seven months for health and social services programs if the state goes forward with its plan to defer such payments starting next week.
• State programs that provide services for mental health, alcohol and drug rehab, and the developmentally disabled will be out $395 million.
• Trial courts won't get $205 million in state support delaying or in some instances halting court cases.
• The federal government won't be sent $188 million that the state owes for monthly grants to people with disabilities and low-income seniors. Recipients at this point will get their February checks because the federal government will cover the payments. It is unclear whether or not the Feds will cover March distributions.
• College students who are part of the Cal Grant program won't get $13 million in payments. The California State University System has said it will defer fees until the grant money starts flowing again. However, the California Community College system says whether fees are deferred will be decided on a district-by-district basis forcing some students out of school.
• Vendors who sell goods or services to the state won't get paid until the state's current problems are worked out which means what they provide for state residents will eventually stop.
For additional information on the state and City of Duarte budget, please contact the City of Duarte, Kristen Petersen, Assistant City Manager at 626-357-7931.
