Issue

January 2026

Related Content

City leaders collaborating around a table
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

“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.

Parent walking child to school
Article Features By Jackie Krentzman

High-quality childcare is scarce and expensive. Can cities change that?

“In my career, I have heard so many times that childcare is not the business of the city,” says San José Council Member Pamela Campos. “However, childcare is absolutely part of economic development. We need people to be able to show up and go to work and do their jobs, which they can’t do if they are caring for their children.” 

Article Local Works By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

How Berkeley turned firestorm housing fights into routine votes

“When I started development at Berkeley 35 years ago, I would go to public meetings and be compared to Hitler, Attila the Hun — I’m not exaggerating,” says Patrick Kennedy, a longtime local developer. “The local paper called [an eight-story building I built] a Stalinist monstrosity and monument to civic corruption.” 

Woman speaking to team of professionals
Article Legal Notes By Zaneta Seidel

Navigating the aftermath of a workplace investigation

Even an investigation conducted with utmost care can leave employees feeling unsettled. If left unaddressed, these tensions can lead to low morale, distrust in management, increased turnover, and, for public entities, diminished service and eroded public trust.

Individuals in wheelchairs play basketball
Article Local Works By Noah Altman

‘I didn’t have to adapt to the world; the world adapted to me.’ Burbank’s Adaptive Sports Expo is redefining recreation

For years, athletes with disabilities in Burbank faced steep hurdles: limited programs, high equipment costs, and social stigma. For families, this meant long drives to other cities or going without entirely. That changed in 2024, when the city’s Parks and Recreation Department launched the Burbank Adaptive Sports Expo.

Article Features By Jim Schutz

Three poems for local government leaders in the era of “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.