Local Governments Join Together to Tackle State Budget and Fiscal Reform

Cities Counties Schools Parntnership spearheads new task force

West Sacramento, Calif. – A newly developed joint Cities-Counties-Schools (CCS) Task Force convened on February 11 for the first time to tackle the complex issues of state budget and fiscal reform.

The CCS Task Force of elected and appointed local government leaders will meet throughout 2009 to review and advise the three participating associations on proposed principles and policies for state budget and fiscal reform. The task force will also collaborate on the development of a possible coalition to advance and secure feasible reforms.

“The current prolonged budget stalemate perhaps best symbolizes the problems with our current legal structure for raising and spending public funds to meet the many needs of California for critical state and local public services,” Richard Gordon, San Mateo County Supervisor and California State Association of Counties Immediate Past President said.

Gordon chaired the CCS Task Force meeting yesterday and was joined by school and city officials, including Ken Cooley, Rancho Cordova City Council Member and First Vice President of the League of California Cities and Paula Campbell, Nevada City School District Board Member and President of the California School Boards Association.

“Budget and revenue decisions are mired in serious partisan gridlock, which undermines the public’s confidence in government and destroys the ability of state and local agencies to engage in long-range planning,” Cooley said.

“Numerous reform ideas, including proposals for overhauling the state budget process, calling a constitutional convention, reforming local taxation powers and overhauling the state revenue structure are emerging,” added Campbell. “We understand the need for reform, and therefore we plan to lead the charge for this much needed systematic change.”

Guest speakers at yesterday’s meeting included Fred Silva, Senior Policy Consultant for California Forward and Jim Wunderman, Executive Director of the Bay Area Council.

For more information about the CCS Task Force, visit www.ccspartnership.org or contact Connie Busse, Executive Director at 916-323-6011.

CCS Partnership: Established in 1997, the CCS Partnership is a joint effort of the League of California Cities, California State Association of Counties (CSAC) and California School Boards Association (CSBA). The Partnership promotes the development of public policies that build and preserve communities by encouraging local collaborative efforts among California's 478 cities, 58 counties and more than 1,000 school boards and districts the partners represent.

California School Boards Association: CSBA is a nonprofit association representing nearly 1,000 K-12 school districts and county offices of education throughout California.
For more information about CSBA, please visit www.csba.org.

California State Association of Counties: CSAC is based in Sacramento and has been representing all 58 of California’s Counties for more than 100 years. For more information about CSAC, please visit www.csac.counties.org.

League of California Cities: Founded in 1898, the League of California Cities is an association of California city officials who work together to enhance their knowledge and skills, exchange information, and combine resources so that they may influence policy decisions that affect cities. The League’s mission is to restore and protect local control for cities through education and advocacy to enhance the quality of life for all Californians.

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