Features Archive

On the Record

City officials offer advice to newly elected council members.

On the Record

City officials share the best advice they’ve received on serving in public office.

Making Campaign Finance and Government More Transparent

The State of California houses a treasure trove of extremely valuable information; the problem is extracting and presenting it in a way that is meaningful and readily accessible. The Fair Political Practices Commission is working to improve public access to election-related and other data.

by Jodi Remke

Forecasting for an Uncertain Fiscal Future

The lingering revenue effects from the Great Recession, changes to pension contributions, rising retiree medical costs and other factors almost guarantee that the financial future for California cities will bear little resemblance to the past.

by Robert Leland

The Sharing Economy’s Impact on Cities

Ride-sharing and home-sharing services are affecting cities in a variety of ways. Seven California cities report their experiences.

by Eva Spiegel and Jude Hudson

Hoarding’s Hazards: Fremont’s New Approach Improves Safety

Hoarding is a costly problem for cities to tackle, often taking hours of staff time and costing thousands of dollars.

by Suzanne Shenfil and Amiel Thurston

West Sacramento’s Path to a Safer, Healthier Community

A crime-ridden trail spurred unhappy residents into action and led to a collaborative effort involving a local nonprofit, the city, school district and multiple agencies.

by Jude Hudson

League of California Cities 2015 Annual Conference & Expo Highlights

Take a look at the conference’s networking opportunities, Expo and more.

by Katie Sacco

Challenges of Closing the Digital Divide

The City of Winters illustrates the difficulties of deploying broadband in smaller cities.

by Cory Golden

Palo Alto Builds on a Legacy of Innovation as a Sustainable Community

Many of the more progressive policies and programs in place today started as smaller pilot programs.

by Karalee Browne