John Bakker and Sky Woodruff Join LOCC Taskforce to Analyze Proposition 26

Meyers Nave is pleased to announce that John Bakker and Sky Woodruff are members of a League of California Cities (LOCC) taskforce preparing guidance regarding the implementation of Proposition 26. The measure imposes new procedural and substantive requirements on some local fees.

Voters approved Proposition 26 at the November 2, 2010 election, and, upon certification of the results, the measure will be effective as of November 3. The main thrust of Proposition 26 is to require a two-thirds vote of both houses of the Legislature to approve “regulatory fees” that the measure indicates are unrelated to a regulatory program. But it will also directly limit local governments’ authority to levy new fees.

Because of the manner in which it was drafted, Proposition 26 may result in legal disputes in the future over the local government’s authority to adopt and increase fees of all types. Along with other local government lawyers, Sky and John are analyzing the measure’s possible affects on municipal government operations.

Both John and Sky have substantial experience in municipal finance and municpal law matters. John serves as city attorney for the cities of Dublin and Greenfield, General Counsel for the Bayshore Sanitary District and the Tamalpais Community Services District, and assistant city attorney for the Town of Los Altos Hills and the City of Union City. His areas of focus include government finance (Propositions 13, 62, and 218), Political Reform Act compliance (lobbying, conflicts, campaign finance), elections (initiative and referendum), and the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act (annexations, incorporations, and reorganizations).

Sky currently serves as city attorney for the cities of El Cerrito and Larkspur and as Chief Assistant City Attorney for the City of South San Francisco. His municipal law practice focuses on issues relating to revenue and taxation, and elections law with an eye toward preserving and enhancing local government revenue. Sky has advised his clients on parcel, utility users’, transient occupancy and other taxes within the limitations imposed by Propositions 13, 62 and 218.