CELSOC Celebrates Supreme Court Victory for California Voters

Business Wire, April 12, 2007

Consulting Firms Enabled to Deliver State Infrastructure Projects on Time and within Budget by Court's Validation of Proposition 35

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California (CELSOC) today applauded the unanimous California Supreme Court ruling to uphold Proposition 35, a CELSOC - sponsored measure overwhelmingly supported by California's voters on the November 2000 ballot. The California Supreme Court today ruled to validate the voter's wishes and promote efficient project delivery in the case of PECG v. Morales (recently renamed PECG v. Kempton). Proposition 35 promotes efficient project delivery in California by authorizing state and local agencies to procure private engineering, surveying and environmental consulting services when needed.

A victory for California voters, today's ruling confirms that state and local agencies, including self-help counties, have full, unrestricted use of Proposition 35 on infrastructure projects of all shapes and sizes.

"Today's unanimous ruling reaffirms the will of the voters and opens the door to speedy project delivery. With the passage of the infrastructure bonds the state needs both public and private sector resources to ensure that the bond funds are fully utilized and the voters' wishes for new transportation, water, education and other facilities are fulfilled," said CELSOC Executive Director Paul Meyer.

The ruling comes as the voter-approved infrastructure bond money is being directed into local communities for much-needed infrastructure projects and as the Legislative Analyst reports that "Particularly in the short term, the state may be unable to recruit, hire and train a sufficient number of staffOto accommodate a rapid rise in spending." (page 12, LAO Report, January 22, 2007)

Continued Meyer, "Today, the Supreme Court removed any doubt that consulting engineers and surveyors can help the state by supplementing the existing work force with specialized expertise and savings in both cost and time. Consulting firms are a great resource in the delivery of state projects because they offer specialized expertise, are held fully accountable for their work and are utilized as-needed, thereby avoiding on-going employee overhead costs."

The engineering and surveying firms represented by CELSOC stand ready to assist the state with its huge workload by helping to deliver projects on time and within budget.

What Proposition 35 Means for California

California Supreme Court Ruling

CELSOC is a 52-year-old, statewide association dedicated to enhancing the consulting engineering and land surveying professions, protecting the general public and promoting the use of the private sector in the growth and development of our state. For more information, visit www.celsoc.org.