Special Projects
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Background Hundreds of cities and school districts across the state have changed the way voters elect their elected officials. Instead of at-large elections in which voters have the ability to vote for all elected officials, many cities are moving to by-district elections. Voters will vote for one elected official who lives in their district. Since the passage of the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) in 2001, there’s been a wave of lawsuits pushing local jurisdictions to move to by-district elections. Proponents of this shift say district elections protect the voting power of marginalized groups. 400+ agencies have moved to district elections since the CVRA was …
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Background While there is no state requirement for local agencies to create a budget, most local agencies establish a new budget every one to two fiscal years. Budgets reflect the community’s priorities, estimate annual revenues and expenses and provide a history of actual revenues and expenses. Budgets are an integral part of an agency’s operations and are often difficult for the public to understand. Developing a transparent budget process and promoting public participation can improve your agency’s credibility, perceptions of performance and trust within the community. Many agencies choose to create brief, informational summaries of their budget to share with t…
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Background Under California law, all general or special taxes must be approved by voters as a local ballot measure. Cities, towns, counties, school districts, fire protection districts and transportation authorities are local government entities allowed to levy taxes upon voter approval. Local governments or citizens can initiate ballot measures. A citizen-initiated ballot measure requires residents to collect signatures on a petition, while a government-initiated measure requires a majority vote for general taxes or a two-thirds vote for special taxes. Sharing information about a measure helps voters make effective, informed decisions. Public agencies may co…
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Background Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR), also known as water quality reports or drinking quality reports, provide your agency’s residents with information about the quality of local drinking water. The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Consumer Confidence Report Rule requires every community water supplier in the nation to provide a Consumer Confidence Report to its customers. Understanding a Consumer Confidence Report can help community members make informed decisions about the water they drink, so it’s important for staff to ensure your agency is on track to send the report out annually. Residents who do not pay their own water bill because they live …
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