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Article Executive Director's Message By League of California Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman

The new year brings fresh, but familiar fiscal uncertainty

City leaders collaborating around a table

“No matter the fiscal challenges ahead in 2026, I continue to be confident in and inspired by the local leaders who continue to rise to the occasion with courage, creativity, pragmatism, and a deep passion for serving their communities,” writes Cal Cities CEO Carolyn Coleman.

Article Features By Jim Schutz

Three poems for local government leaders in the “Great Uncertainty”

“When I retired as San Rafael’s city manager, I wanted to capture the emotional complexity of our work, our frustrations and joys,” writes Jim Schutz. “Poetry and government don’t typically hang out together. But poetry fits because it’s built to express how something feels deep inside of you.”

Article News from the Institute for Local Government By Erica L. Manuel

How to reverse the erosion of trust in local government

According to the Edelman Trust Institute, we are in the middle of a “crisis of grievance.” Six in 10 Americans now hold grievances against government and elites. Those with high grievance levels are more than twice as likely to distrust all institutions, including local government.