Calipatria City Council unanimously supports SB 797

CALIPATRIA — The Calipatria City Council voted during their regular meeting to approve a letter of support for SB 797, a bill introduced before the California State Senate by Senator Steve Padilla.

SB 797 was introduced by Senator Padilla in February of 2023. and would establish a state-appointed oversight committee for the allocation of revenues from lithium extraction taxes. The committee would answer to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. 

The committee's responsibilities would include the appropriate allocation of lithium extraction tax revenues, recommendations on improving community engagement, maximizing community benefit, and reporting what it finds and does annually to the state legislature.

Maria Nava-Froelich. mayor of the city of Calipatria, explained her support of the bill, citing previous behavior by the County. Nava-Froelich specifically mentioned the Solar Public Benefits Fund, saying that the County gave out around $14 million in investment loans to developers and businesses. Some, she said, the County claims were good for jobs. Others, however, were not so beneficial. None, beneficial or not, were in Calipatria or Niland.

"[Some developers] took the money and did not fulfill their projects," said Nava-Froelich. "Note: none of these projects are in Calipatria or in Niland."

Nava-Froelich expressed dissatisfaction with the Board of Supervisors Chairman Ryan Kelley's announcement of $1 million for the communities of the Valley, from Palo Verde to Niland, all allocated by population. "It's very little to nothing that the smaller cities and communities will receive, so much inequities," said Nava-Froelich.

The mayor expressed her concern that the power of the County might go unchecked.

"...They as Supervisors will have the power to move money left and right with no oversight, bad spending habits, we would rather an oversight appointed by the Governor to do the checks and balances but, most of all, to ensure we receive our fair share of 30% or more in the Northend," said Nava-Froelich. "Remember, we are impoverished and disadvantaged communities. Because of the County's history and the ability to hoard these types of funding, we were left with no recourse but to support the bill this evening at our City Council Meeting."

According to Nava-Froelich, the Niland Chamber of Commerce also supports the bill. "We are the fenceline communities! We will take away some of their power!"

The letter of support for SB 797 was approved unanimously by the Calipatria City Council.