(a) To dispose of certain lawsuits and assessment appeals that have been filed, and to preclude the filing of other claims relating to (1) the assessment, equalization, and assessability of certain possessory interests in publicly owned airports and (2) aircraft valuation and equalization by Alaska Airlines, Inc., American Airlines, Inc., Continental Airlines, Inc., Delta Air Lines, Inc., Federal Express Corporation, Northwest Airlines, Inc., Trans World Airlines, Inc., United Airlines, Inc., United Parcel Service, U.S. Airways, Inc., Wings West Airlines, Southwest Airlines, America West Airlines, in their own right or as successors in interest, counties shall provide future tax credits in the following amounts:

Alameda  ........................

$ 4,455,110

Contra Costa  ........................

1,000

El Dorado  ........................

1,000

Fresno  ........................

264,630

Humboldt  ........................

500

Kern  ........................

33,540

Los Angeles  ........................

18,335,720

Monterey  ........................

148,560

Orange  ........................

2,916,995

Riverside  ........................

435,780

Sacramento  ........................

1,070,185

San Bernardino  ........................

1,991,405

San Diego  ........................

4,262,610

San Joaquin  ........................

1,000

San Mateo  ........................

13,544,005

Santa Barbara  ........................

167,880

Santa Clara  ........................

2,369,080

Solano  ........................

1,000

(b) The credits identified in subdivision (a) will be allowed in equal amounts for the 1998–99 fiscal year to the 2002–03 fiscal year, inclusive, and may be credited by the counties against one or more tax bills of the airline entitled to the credit. The credits identified in subdivision (a) shall be allocated among the airlines in accordance with a schedule to be established and agreed upon by the airlines identified in subdivision (a). The airlines shall, through a designated representative, provide to each county listed in subdivision (a), before the effective date of this measure, the detail of the allocation of the credits among the various airlines. In no instance shall a county be required to provide a credit to any airline in any year that exceeds the total tax due from that airline to that county for that year. The airlines’ designated representative may submit revised instructions not later than June 30 preceding the beginning of the fiscal year in which the credits are to be adjusted, but in no event may the credit for any county in any year be increased beyond the levels set out in subdivisions (a) and (b) for any fiscal year.

(c) In addition to the credits provided in subdivision (a), each county shall allow a credit against any escape assessment upon certificated aircraft levied on or after April 1, 1998, under subdivision (b) of Section 401.15 for tax years up to and including the 1997–98 fiscal year to the extent the escape assessment is based upon the cost established in sale/leaseback or assignment of purchase rights transaction. The amount of the credit shall be equal to the tax on one-half of the value increase, plus interest and penalties attributable to use of the sale/leaseback or assignment of purchase rights transaction amount to determine value pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 401.15.

(d) Upon enrollment of any escape assessment contemplated in subdivision (a) of Section 401.15, the county assessor shall provide the county auditor with the information necessary to calculate the credit required in subdivision (c) of this section.

(e) No county shall be required to provide the credits specified in subdivisions (a) and (b) unless all airlines named in subdivision (a) who also have assessments in that county have entered into a settlement agreement or executed a waiver with that county. No county shall be required to provide the credits specified in subdivision (c) unless the airline otherwise entitled to that credit has entered into a settlement agreement or executed a waiver with that county. The settlement agreement or waiver shall include a waiver of all statutory and constitutional rights with respect to pending and future challenges to valuation and equalization of certificated aircraft through the 2003–04 fiscal year, provided that the assessments are established in conformance with Section 401.15, and all statutory and constitutional rights to challenge valuation, equalization and assessability of possessory interests in publicly owned airports (other than interests stated in a written agreement for terminal, cargo, hangar, automobile parking lots, storage and maintenance facilities, and other buildings and the land thereunder leased in whole or in part by an airline), provided that the valuations made for the 1998–99 fiscal year and thereafter are established in conformance with Section 107.9. At the discretion of a county, the airlines may be required to file waivers in that county in lieu of entering into a settlement agreement. Upon the execution of a settlement agreement or waiver by the airlines named in subdivision (a) that also have assessments in a county, that county listed in subdivision (a) shall be required to provide the credits set out in this section. Nothing in this section precludes claims concerning allocation of aircraft values.

(f) With respect to America West Airlines only, the waiver or settlement agreement required by subdivision (e) may exclude the claims that America West Airlines has already raised in the adversary proceedings in the bankruptcy proceeding entitled “In Re America West Airlines, Inc., Case No. 91-07505 PHX-RGM” against the Counties of Orange, San Bernardino, Sacramento, San Mateo, Alameda, and San Diego, provided that the settlement agreements or waivers under subdivision (e) provide that the resolution of any of America West’s adversary claims will have no legal effect for any tax year not at issue in those adversary proceedings. This section and Sections 107.9 and 401.15 do not abrogate, rescind, preclude, or otherwise affect any separate settlement agreement entered into prior to the effective date of this section between a county and an airline concerning the subject matter of this section and Sections 107.9 and 401.15 with respect to those tax years expressly settled by any agreement as so described. However, no settlement agreement as so described may be used to challenge the assessment and valuation provided by these sections for any tax year after the 1997–98 fiscal year or any tax year not expressly settled by that agreement.

(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 86, Sec. 3. Effective June 30, 1998.)