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May 15, 2014 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
May 15, 2014 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
May 15, 2014 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
May 14, 2014 - In response to the Supplemental Report of the 2013-14 Budget Package, this brief presents our assessment of the existing COS program and makes a series of recommendations to improve the efficiency and accountability of the program. While we find that Caltrans has made minor improvements to the COS program in recent years, the program generally lacks accountability and is not operating efficiently. Specifically, we find that the COS program currently (1) lacks performance data to adequately measure program effectiveness, (2) is experiencing a substantial decline in workload that will result in significant overstaffing starting in 2014-15, and (3) allows for limited legislative and external oversight. Significant reductions to the size of the program and increases in the level of external oversight are necessary in order to ensure the state's limited transportation funds are used wisely. We recommend that the Legislature take a first step to address the COS overstaffing problem in the 2014-15 budget. In addition, we recommend that the Legislature take steps for the California Transportation Commission to perform specific oversight and project approval functions for projects that currently have limited oversight.
May 12, 2014 - Public Safety Realignment Funding Allocation
May 8, 2014 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education Finance
May 7, 2014 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on Public Safety
May 7, 2014 - This report categorizes and provides information about $340 billion in California's key retirement, infrastructure, and budgetary liabilities. In addition, this report provides a framework for the Legislature to consider in prioritizing repayment of these liabilities and makes recommendations on which liabilities to pay down first and how the state could address such costs in the future. In general, we suggest that the Legislature prioritize actions to pay down those liabilities (1) with relatively high interest rates or (2) that result in benefits for groups or entities other than the state government. Due to its massive unfunded liability and relatively high growth rate, we recommend that the Legislature make a full funding plan for the California State Teachers' Retirement System a top priority in addressing the state's key liabilities.
May 5, 2014 - During the recession, residential and commercial real estate values declined throughout California. As a result, many property owners received temporary property tax reductions as authorized by Proposition 8 (1978). In 2013-14, 3.2 million properties—about one-quarter of all properties in California—received a temporary property tax reduction. In total, temporary property tax reductions lowered local government property tax revenues by an estimated $7 billion in 2013-14, amounting to 15 percent of total property tax revenues statewide. However, real estate markets have recovered significantly over the past two years, and property tax payments for many of these property owners increased by as much as 20 percent in 2013-14. Going forward, we expect property tax payments for these owners to increase faster than 2 percent annually for several years. These increases likely will cause local property tax revenues to grow swiftly over the next several years as well.
May 1, 2014 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 5 On Corrections, Public Safety and the Judiciary
May 1, 2014 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education
April 30, 2014 - This report provides background information on the motion picture industry and offers preliminary observations regarding the California film and television production tax credit. This report does not make recommendations regarding the tax credit or any proposed legislation. We highlight several factors for the Legislature to consider when reviewing the tax credit in our report.
April 29, 2014 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education
April 29, 2014 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
April 28, 2014 - Presented to the Legislature, this handout summarizes the key features of ACA 4—the rainy-day fund proposal currently on the November 2014 statewide ballot—and the Governor’s proposal for a different rainy-day fund mechanism. Revenue volatility presents a key challenge for state budgeting and the state has a poor track record of setting aside reserves when times are good to help balance the budget during later economic downturns. Designing another budgetary formula for the constitution involves implementation issues for legislative consideration.