Articles

As an elected official and public servant, your actions and words are often subject to intense public scrutiny. Thinking about how the average constituent on the street will perceive your actions…

Partnerships among public, private and nonprofit groups are nothing new, and examples abound. However, innovative partnerships that build capacity to address sustainability, energy efficiency,…

A group of 130 League leaders and board members met recently to set the organization’s priorities for the coming year.

Local agencies throughout California are employing joint-use agreements as a tool to stretch taxpayer resources as far as possible in service to shared constituents.

Not collecting taxes on sales provides out-of-state online retailers a significant price advantage over instate “bricks and mortar” businesses. As online commerce continues to grow, a solution…

Pension costs for most California municipalities are likely to increase 25 percent or more in the next three years. If sizable increases in pension costs are not mitigated, many cities will be…

This column is a service of the Institute for Local Government (ILG), whose mission is to promote good government at the local level. For more information and to access ILG’s resources on public service ethics, visit www.ca-ilg.org/trust.

Seek Professional Advice

Although the Institute for Local Government endeavors to help local officials understand laws that apply to public service, its informational materials are not legal advice. In addition, attorneys can and do disagree on the best interpretation of the complex rules related to public service ethics. Officials are encouraged to consult an attorney or the Fair Political Practices Commission for advice on specific situations.

A major change in the role of the federal government is beginning, and it will have dramatic consequences for state and local governments.

It’s time to start thinking about how to make the most of this educational opportunity.

One of the most important responsibilities for local officials is overseeing their agencies’ finances. What can elected officials do to exercise careful fiscal stewardship over taxpayer resources?

Revisiting our banking relationships offers a painless way of recovering and generating revenue for our cash-strapped cities.

Local governments are experiencing permanent fiscal stress that undercuts their ability to respond to the big issues of the day. These rules provide helpful guidelines for local leaders.

Local agencies throughout California are striving to reduce costs, even as the demand for services grows. Improving efficiency helps agencies do more with their existing resources and can offer a…

A much larger share of federal spending is being distributed in the form of competitive grant funding through executive branch departments and agencies.

The impact of state raids on local funds threatens not only the economy but also the vital community services and residents’ safety and quality of life.

As public agencies explore cost-saving measures, one option is regionalizing public safety services by consolidating, contracting or sharing services with neighboring agencies.

More than 1,500 city officials will gather in San Diego form Sept. 15-17 for three days of educational sessions, social media training, policy discussion and more.

The Strategic Growth Council offers technical assistance and administers grant funding for local governments.

While public support for our ballot measure is strong, we have to ask ourselves whether we are prepared to devote the effort, resources and focus to this priority to ensure success in November.

Our shared values of local control and self-determination affect the breadth and depth of our organization’s leadership in every action we take. The policy-making process and procedures we employ…

It can be a challenge to design public meeting that allow a large and diverse group of residents to collaboratively identify and offer their preferences or recommendations to decision-makers in a…

California’s economy is in the worst shape since the Great Depression, and the state is shutting down its only viable source of economic development.

The two articles presented here examine the legal standards and practices under which cities may enact local laws either to ban or regulate dispensaries.

Cities use a variety of strategies to overcome the challenges associated with mixed-use and infill development.

Auditors can help elected officials and agency managers make sure that public resources are properly used. By conducting periodic audits, local agencies can underscore their commitment to ethics…

Good times come and go. How can cities best position themselves to weather the bad times? One city’s approach involves having a fiscal-health contingency plan in place so it doesn’t face…

The stresses that can result in the drastic step of filing for bankruptcy protection are currently affecting many municipalities, but filing for Chapter 9 protection should be considered a last…

This year, the dysfunction in our state governance became painfully evident as the Legislature and governor adopted budget after budget that failed to meet the test of responsibility in the eyes of…