Local governments – cities, special districts and counties – are the entities closest to the people. They all have locally-elected governing boards and provide most of the direct services to citizens. In 1910, the Separation of Sources Act gave specific authority to local governments and the state to collect taxes,set rates and obligations. Today, they have very little control over their financial resources.
Read more about the relationship between state and local finances.
California’s budget is the next most critical document for our governance, second only to the State’s constitution. The budget is a comprehensive document as it is the financial plan for the State and impacts its operations. Since it is such a critical document, it is important for Californians to have at least a broad working knowledge of the budget as well as the process for drafting, enacting and implementing it.
Redistricting is a priority issue for education and advocacy at all levels of the League. What is Redistricting? Redistricting is the process of redrawing districts for each government body that uses district elections, including the U.S. House of Representatives, state legislatures, county boards of supervisors, city councils, school boards, and special districts (e.g., water or sewer districts). Every 10 years, after the U.S. Census, districts are redrawn to ensure that each local, state, and federal lawmaker represents the same number of people. At the same time, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission also draws new maps for statewide election districts to make sure each district has about the same number of people. Check out our Deferred and Accelerated Voters, Redistricting and the CA State Senate explainer. Why It Matters Redistricting matters because the drawing of district lines determines who represents you in elected office. Areas that are included – and excluded – from these districts impact which communities will have a voice in selecting their representative. It also affects which communities will have influence with their elected officials. Redistricting will determine political representation for the next ten years. When elected officials draw district lines, they get to design their own territory and choose who votes for them. This can lead to discriminatory manipulation that weakens the voting strength of targeted communities, also allowing partisan manipulation that favors one political party over another. The League believes that districts should be drawn by independent, special citizen-ran commissions that use fair criteria to help keep communities intact and to ensure that everyone is equally represented. What is Gerrymandering? Gerrymandering is the intentional manipulation of the redistricting process by the people with political power to keep that political power. When legislators draw their own districts, they have an interest in drawing lines that will ensure that they can […]
