Issue highlights:
Read below for more news and events.
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The Legislature’s proposed budget deal provides significant resources for cities to address generational crises, but more resources are needed to support recovery from COVID-19 in all cities. City leaders should continue to urge lawmakers to appropriate at least $10 billion to help cities recover from the pandemic, bolster investment towards meaningful solutions to homelessness, improve housing affordability, and advance critical infrastructure. Take action today! (State Budget sample city letter.docx.)
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The League of California Cities, alongside a team of city finance professionals and the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) created an innovative revenue loss calculation tool that will help cities comply with the American Rescue Plan Act funding rules. Read more
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The Legislature passed a budget bill June 14, but the bill is just a framework that tees up a long summer of negotiations between the Legislature, Governor, and interest groups. While there is general consensus on budget priority areas, the final spending amounts, allocation, and distribution methods, have yet to be agreed upon. Read more
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Hundreds of bills are working their way through their respective policy committees in the state Legislature over the next few weeks, including more more than a dozen bills that would impact cities that Cal Cities is actively advocating on, most notably SB 9 (Atkins), SB 619 (Laird), SB 278 (Leyva), AB 603 (McCarty), SB 28 (Caballero), and SB 341 (McGuire). Read more
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Statement from the Executive Director |
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We appreciate the Legislature’s significant investments in the state budget bill for our shared priorities that include housing those experiencing homeless, accelerating the supply of affordable housing, and expanding broadband services to close the digital divide….Unfortunately, the State missed a historic opportunity to invest directly in our cities, the hearts of our communities, to help stabilize local operations, preserve local jobs, and jumpstart local economic recovery. Read more
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Gov. Gavin Newsom took executive action on June 11 to terminate the state’s stay-at-home order and tiered Blueprint for Safer Economy. Measures that were included in the blueprint to protect public health, such as physical distancing, capacity limits, and the county tier system, terminate on June 15. The Governor also issued an executive order to begin the “winding down” of the 58 executive orders that have been implemented since the beginning of the pandemic. The provisions will sunset in phases, beginning later this month through September. Read the full update
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Cal Cities is thrilled to announce that registration is now open for our 2021 Annual Conference and Expo! We can’t wait to see our city officials in person after 18 months of virtual meetings and events. The programming for this year’s annual conference will feature a variety of exciting speakers and timely presentations on key topics for local leaders, plus numerous networking opportunities. The always popular Expo floor will be back this year, filled with new and familiar faces, and brimming with opportunities to engage with companies and organizations that provide services to cities. Register now
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Wednesday, June 23, 1:00 p.m. — Need help creating or amending a local coastal plan (LCP)? Unsure how LCPs affect coastal development? Learn how to navigate the sometimes-difficult process with representatives from the California Coastal Commission, League of California Cities Coastal Cities Group, and other experienced city officials. The webinar will also cover efforts to improve the amendment and update process. Presenters: Cal Cities Coastal Cities Group Chair and Pismo Beach Mayor Ed Waage, California Coastal Commission Executive Director Jack Ainsworth and Coastal Program Manager Madeline Cavalieri, and coastal cities representatives. Register now
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Thursday, July 1, 2:00-3:30 p.m. — California's commitment to fair and equal housing was reinforced by the passage of AB 686, which required public agencies to administer housing and community development programs in a way that furthers fair housing. This webinar will provide an overview of the fair housing laws, strategies to implement/address these requirements, and the connection between fair housing and larger socioeconomic, equity, and environmental justice issues. Speakers: Tyrone Buckley, Assistant Deputy Director of Fair Housing, Department of Housing and Community Development, Muhammad Alameldin, Economic Equity Fellow, The Greenlining Institute; Lori Droste, Vice Mayor, City of Berkeley; and Isaac Rosen, Associate, Best Best & Kreiger. Register now
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Wednesday, June 30, 10:00-11:30 a.m. — Cities across the state are beginning the redistricting process. Because this process only happens once every decade, the stakes are high — especially for those doing it for the first time. Hear from seasoned experts about the basics of the process, legal requirements, and tips to navigate the process gracefully. Gain a better understanding of the roles of staff and elected officials and how to manage the timeline to create a successful redistricting process and plan. Speakers: Matthew “Mal” Richardson, Partner, Best Best & Krieger; Ken Strasma, CEO, HaystaqDNA; Stephanie Smith, former City Clerk, cities of Murrieta and Lake Forest & Director of Election Services, Best Best & Krieger. Register now
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At Redlands — where Chief Catren has spent his entire career — building trust is as simple as being transparent and following through on every call or complaint, no matter how mundane they may seem. It helps that the Redlands Police Department has been a prominent member of the community for decades. Broadly speaking, community policing argues that highly personal, sustained, and collaborative partnerships with communities and organizations are key to solving public safety issues. Read more
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An affordable housing property has been acquired for middle-income residents in the city of Carson from the issuance of more than $215.6 million in tax-exempt bonds through the California Statewide Communities Development Authority’s (CSCDA) new Workforce Housing Program. The project will assure available housing for those that earn too much to qualify for traditional affordable housing, but cannot afford to live where they work. Read more
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Thursday, July 15, 11 a.m. — From the Affordable Care Act to voting rights to takings this U.S. Supreme Court term had it all! This webinar will cover all the cases of interest to states and local governments. Presenters: New Jersey State Solicitor Jeremy Feigenbaum, President of the Constitutional Litigation Center Bob Peck, SCOTUS blog editor James Romoser, and State and Local Legal Center Executive Director Lisa Soronen. Register now
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A bill moving through the Legislature aims to reveal how much money California cities are losing out to a group of local governments that gave tax-sharing deals to e-commerce giants like Amazon in bids to court warehouse jobs for their communities. The cities say they benefit from the increased property and sales tax that comes with a large business, while the cities then return 50 to 80% of the tax back to the retailers. Supporters of the bill include the League of California Cities.
[Howard] Chambers, during his tenure, served in leadership roles in the League of California Cities, the California Contract Cities Association, the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, and the International City/County Management Association. By the time he retired in 2017, his career in Lakewood spanned more than 50 years. After he stepped away, the League of California Cities honored him with its Award of Distinction for his “contribution to the strength of local control and vitality” of city governments.
Following the Legislature’s vote today to pass the FY 2021-22 state budget bill, League of California Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman issued the following statement: “We appreciate the Legislature’s significant investments in the state budget bill for our shared priorities that include housing those experiencing homeless, accelerating the supply of affordable housing, and expanding broadband services to close the digital divide. As the process moves forward, Cal Cities will work closely with the Legislature and the Governor to ensure cities have access to these funds in a way that is fair, transparent, and most effective.
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June 23
Sept. 22-24 SAVE THE DATE
Municipal Finance Institute
Sept. 22-24 REGISTER NOW
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