As the finances for the state of California seem to get bleaker, the state has chosen to use revenue from cities to fill the gap, but a new ballot measure aims to put a stop to that practice.

The League of California Cities needed over 600,000 valid signatures and was able to get over a million to put a proposition on the November ballot to eliminate the states practice of taking local funds to cover budget gaps.

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According to City Councilmember Marsha Mclean, over the past several years the state has taken an estimated $10 to $12 million from Santa Clarita’s funds.

“Capital improvement projects have had to be placed on hold,” said McLean. “We have had to redo some of the spending we would normally give to arts and other programs that benefit our residents.”

The states practice of taking local funds to cover state budget gaps began in 2004 with the passage of proposition 1A. The proposition allowed the state to take city funds during fiscal emergencies.