 | Constitutional Amendments - Summary | |
| Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 | ||
Proposition No. 1
Heritage Alliance Recommendation: AGAINST
How the proposition will appear on the ballot:
The constitutional amendment authorizing the financing, including through tax increment financing, of the acquisition by municipalities and counties of buffer areas or open spaces adjacent to a military installation for the prevention of encroachment or for the construction of roadways, utilities, or other infrastructure to protect or promote the mission of the military installation.
Summary:
This proposition would allow the Legislature to authorize a municipality or county to issue bonds or notes to finance the acquisition of land adjacent to a military base in order to create a buffer zone or open space and prevent encroachment on the base. The bonds or notes also could be used to finance construction of highways, utilities, or other infrastructure that would protect or promote the military installation's mission. It also would allow the governmental entity to pledge increases in property tax revenue in the zone to repay the bonds or notes.
Heritage Alliance Recommendation:
AGAINST
Conservative Principles which are the basis for this recommendation:
There is no compelling interest to vote for this proposition. Municipalities already have authority to condemn private property to build roads or other infrastructure for the public good. This proposition does not specify limits on the width of the buffer zone created by a municipality. A vote against this proposition will preserve private property rights, and would stop government from incurring more debt to finance bonds to purchase private property. A vote against this amendment avoids giving special privilege to some (such as industries related to infrastructure designed to complement the mission of the military installation). A vote against this amendment avoids tax increment financing which ties up tax revenue, thus protecting future generations from being encumbered by debt.