2022 Annual Report
2022
Annual Report
League of California Cities
League of California Cities
The key to progress is partnership, and for the League of California Cities, 2022 was a year full of collective action and success on behalf of California’s cities and towns.
In 2022, Cal Cities delivered yet again for our members, advancing critical advocacy priorities in the Legislature and the courts, and offering exceptional education opportunities.
Working together with our local leaders and partners, we secured significant funding for cities that will help spur affordable housing, reduce homelessness, and implement organic waste regulations. We protected local transportation projects, safeguarded current funding streams that cities use for critical services, and fought back against regulations that add an extra layer of unnecessary bureaucracy.
We diversified and expanded on the success of our online educational programming and launched a new, in-person conference for city leaders to advocate at the Capitol and learn from peers and experts alike. We also strengthened Cal Cities’ technology infrastructure to increase member engagement and better serve city officials.
Cal Cities is a strong, effective organization because we are member-informed and grounded in the voices and experiences of cities throughout the state. Together, we are strengthening local decision-making, driving state policy, and crafting solutions to everyday challenges.
I’d like to express my gratitude to the 2021-22 Cal Cities Officers and Board members for their leadership and guidance.
I’d also like to acknowledge and thank the talented and dedicated Cal Cities staff. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of people who call our cities home.
I am proud to present the Cal Cities 2022 Annual Report, which captures our collective achievements in support of California cities over the past year. I look forward to all we will accomplish together in 2023.
Message from Executive Director and CEO
| 1 |
Carolyn M. Coleman
Executive Director and CEO
League of California Cities
2022 Annual Report | 2 |
Mission
To expand
and protect local
control for cities through
education and advocacy to
enhance the quality of life
for all Californians.
Vision
To be
recognized
and respected as the
leading advocate for
the common interests
of California’s
cities.
California is a state rich with diversity, but it is the commonality of our interests that bring us together and makes Cal Cities so powerful as an organization. I’m proud of our collective work over the last year to recognize the challenges cities face and advance solutions that improve the quality of life for all Californians.
Cindy Silva
Mayor Pro Tem, Walnut Creek
2021-22 Cal Cities President
“
2021-22 Cal Cities Board of Directors
League of California Cities | 3 |
Who We Are
39.5 live in cities
million
83%
Population
in California
By the numbers...
Smallest city
Amador City
201
Largest city
Los Angeles
3.8 million
Cal Cities serves thousands
of city officials and staff...
• Mayors and Council Members
• City Managers
• City Attorneys
• City Clerks
• Fire Chiefs
• Fiscal Officers
• Human Resources Directors
• Planning Commissioners
• Public Works Officers
• Public Safety Officers
2022 Annual Report
Legislative
Advocacy
| 4 |
Cal Cities works directly with
members of the Legislature,
Governor’s administration, and
other organizations to advocate
on behalf of California cities
and towns. In 2022, Cal Cities
and the powerful voices of city
officials it represents advanced
the member-driven and boardapproved 2022 Action Agenda.
Cal Cities secured $1 billion in the state budget to support cities’ efforts to tackle the housing supply and affordability crisis in their communities. Cal Cities also secured critical amendments to housing bills that are now law to prevent the further erosion of local zoning and land use authority.
Housing
Cal Cities supported and improved a landmark law that creates a first-of-its-kind civil court process known as the Community Assistance Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court program.
This program connects individuals experiencing acute mental illnesses with a court-ordered care plan managed by a care team in the community. Cal Cities also proudly sponsored a new law that creates a peer-to-peer suicide prevention curriculum for firefighters and emergency medical services personnel.
Homelessness and community wellness
Cal Cities led a broad coalition against a large, unfunded transportation measure that would have required cities to adopt significant and costly changes to their general plans. Cal Cities secured amendments that removed the worst parts of the bill, and it now respects local decision-making and flexibility. Cal Cities also stopped transportation bills that would have restricted local decision-making and the use of funding sources for local transportation initiatives.
Infrastructure
Cal Cities’ advocacy yielded results to help cities implement the state’s new organic waste recycling programs and advance shared state and local goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Cal Cities secured an additional $180 million for cities this year, as well as greater local flexibility for achieving compliance with state regulation procurement requirements. Cal Cities also played a critical role in the passage of a landmark single-use plastics and packaging recycling law, ensuring that new costs will not be borne by cities or their residents.
Climate resiliency
League of California Cities
Other Legislative Achievements
Cal Cities’ advocacy efforts spurred state action on a wide range of top concerns for cities and pushed back on state regulations that add an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy. Catalytic converter theft is rising throughout the state and driving up insurance costs for residents.
Cal Cities supported two new laws designed
to disincentivize black market operations and
dissuade further theft.
Crime
Cal Cities successfully pushed back against
legislation that threatened local revenues
that cities need to fund essential services. One
proposed measure, which was defeated, would
have provided manufacturing companies a full
sales tax break for the next five years – with an
estimated revenue loss to local governments
over $2.5 billion.
Cal Cities also stopped two measures that would
have required state and local pension systems to
withdraw high-performing investments, leading
to a negative impact on the pension fund system
and employer costs.
Protecting local revenues
By the numbers...
This year Cal Cities
tracked and engaged on
Cal Cities staff held More than
Protected more than 1,430 bills,
100+ meetings 400 local leaders
$3 billion two-thirds in local revenues
of all bills introduced. with state lawmakers
and legislative staff.
engaged in Cal Cities
committees to shape policy
positions central to our advocacy.
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2022 Annual Report
Legal Advocacy
One of the unique services available to Cal Cities members is the robust legal advocacy program that protects the interests of cities in matters before the courts. State and federal appellate courts issued favorable decisions for cities in several cases in which Cal Cities filed an amicus, or “friend-of-the-court,” brief. A few highlights include:
A California Court of Appeal answered Cal Cities’ request to publish a favorable opinion for cities regarding Hobbs v. City of Pacific Grove, a case concerning cities’ short-term rental ordinances. The published case can now be used by other cities as precedent to oppose legal challenges to short-term rental ordinances.
In Old East Davis Neighborhood Association v. City of Davis, a California Court of Appeal confirmed a longstanding legal presumption in favor of cities’ determinations of general plan consistency. Upon request by Cal Cities, the court published the case so that it can now be cited as favorable precedent by cities in other cases.
In California River Watch v. City of Vacaville, Cal Cities successfully urged the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to withdraw an earlier, unfavorable opinion finding that a city could be held liable for coincidental contamination of water moving through its water system, even when the city did not directly cause the contamination. The withdrawn opinion decreases the liability for cities that operate public water systems.
By the numbers...
35 Friend-of-the-court
briefs filed.
“
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3 Updates to legal publications
We are one small city, and
when we join together
with all the other cities
in the state of California,
our collective voice is so
strong. We can’t do it
alone. Joining the League
of California Cities has
been very important for us
to strengthen our voice,
especially in advocacy.
Teresa Acosta,
Council Member, Carlsbad,
Cal Cities Board Member
League of California Cities
Education and Events
Cal Cities offers unmatched learning opportunities for city leaders. Its conferences and events provide local officials with a chance to hear from experts and explore new solutions to the everyday challenges cities face.
Cal Cities launched the inaugural City Leaders Summit in 2022, a new event for city officials to advocate on state policy decisions that impact cities and gain top-notch leadership skills. During the event, more than 200 city leaders met with legislators to discuss the most pertinent issues affecting their cities and attended in-depth educational sessions to explore local solutions to statewide problems.
In 2022, eight of Cal Cities’ flagship conferences returned to in-person offerings, and the Cal Cities Annual Conference and Expo welcomed the largest number of attendees since 2014. Cal Cities built on the success of the previous year’s online programming and offered several highly engaging virtual educational opportunities, including the Speaker Series and webinars.
Cal Cities, especially at the division level,
provides a lot of great training for staff members
and newly elected council members. When
I was first elected in 2018, I had the benefit of
attending a series of orientations where Cal
Cities really laid the groundwork for how to
be an effective council member. That was an
incredibly helpful resource to me.
“
Andrew Chou,
Mayor, Diamond Bar,
Los Angeles County Division President
By the numbers...
4,037
Webinars and
Speaker Series with
5,476
17 attendees
Department
roundtables with
42 3,224
attendees
Division
events with
133
4,370
attendees
Conferences with
attendees
10 | 7 |
| 8 | 2022 Annual Report
Our strength is
our membership
In 2022, thousands of city officials attended
virtual and in-person events through Cal
Cities’ divisions, departments, and caucuses
to share best practices and advocate for top
city priorities. Cal Cities’ advocacy efforts help
strengthen the entire organization and create a
stronger, unified voice when representing local
interests in the state Capitol.
Cal Cities’ strength is in its
diversity, and the power of the
organization is demonstrated
in the work we do together. As
several educational opportunities
returned to in-person events, Cal
Cities held on to the success of
virtual convenings as a forum
for city officials to collaborate
and share new ideas for serving
their residents. Thousands of city
officials participated in memberdriven department and issuebased roundtables.
In 2022, Cal Cities also launched the online
Advancing Equity Community, where city leaders
can connect, share information, and discover
resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion
matters for cities.
League of California Cities
Visibility
Cities and towns in California are deeply committed to making their communities healthy and vibrant places to live, work, and play. Cal Cities shares best practices employed by cities for creatively tackling some of California’s biggest challenges because we believe that cities learning from each other is part of what makes us all stronger.
Bringing greater visibility to the work of cities and amplifying the voices of city leadership is integral to what Cal Cities does every day. This work is key to advancing the collective power of cities, ensuring that our members can share the experiences of cities in the state Legislature and Congress, and shape important conversations in the media on issues of critical importance to our cities.
This past year, the voices of Cal Cities members were in highly respected state and national media, advocating for the needs of cities. They were featured in Cal Cities’ Western City magazine, #LocalWorks video stories and through our social media storytelling, and in our weekly Cal Cities Advocate newsletter that goes directly to the inboxes of more than 12,000 readers. The 12 winning cities of the esteemed Helen Putnam Award for Excellence, chosen for their outstanding efforts to improve the quality of life and delivery of services in their communities, were also featured in Western City magazine and social media channels throughout the year. | 9 |
By the numbers...
1,800
Cal Cities was
mentioned in
news stories
132 million
estimated reach
#LocalWorks stories of local
actions that are
making a difference to
California communities.
26 Follow us on social media!
2022 Annual Report
City Solutions
Cal Cities is committed to connecting cities to services and solutions, and that commitment was stronger than ever in 2022.
In addition to the California Statewide
Communities Development Authority, a
joint powers authority which enables local
governments to access low-cost, tax-exempt
financing for community-based public benefit
projects, Cal Cities expanded its financial
solutions for cities in 2022. Cal Cities launched
California CLASS, a local government investment pool that provides public agencies with an additional diversification option for their daily liquidity and strategic reserve investments.
Through the Cal Cities Partner
Program, business partners supported
the work of city officials by connecting them with services to help support their residents. Cal Cities Partners also engaged in educational activities, policy development, conferences, regional meetings, and networking events throughout the year.
| 10 |
• City of Eureka
• City of Buellton
• City of Lakewood
• City of Montebello
• City of Redondo Beach
• 19 Cities and Towns in
Contra Costa County
• City of Modesto
• City of Placentia
• Town of Paradise
• City of Laguna Niguel
• City of Pismo Beach
• City of Gonzales
Helen Putnam Award for Excellence winners 12 featured in Western City magazine “
I think at the end of the day, we are all
advocates for our cities. We’re all champions.
And the League of California Cities helps us
be more effective champions...
Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft,
Mayor, Alameda,
Cal Cities Board Member
12,583 subscribers Cal Cities Advocate 50 newsletters with @calcities
By the numbers... 81 Cal Cities Partners
League of California Cities
The Cal Cities Team
Supported by a staff of about 70, Cal
Cities is the leading advocate and
premier educational resource for
California cities and their leaders.
Strengthening cities through advocacy and education
1400 K Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814 • 916.658.8200 • calcities.org The Cal Cities 2021-22 Board of Directors
Officers
Cindy Silva, Mayor Pro Tem, Walnut Creek, President
Ali Sajjad Taj, Council Member, Artesia, First Vice President Dan Parra, Council Member, Fowler, Second Vice President Cheryl Viegas Walker, Council Member, El Centro,
Immediate Past President
Carolyn M. Coleman, Executive Director and CEO
Directors
Walt Allen, Mayor Pro Tem, Covina, African American Caucus Jan Arbuckle, Vice Mayor, Grass Valley, At-large
Dan Arriola, Council Member, Tracy, LGBTQ Caucus
Denise Athas, Council Member, Novato, At-large
Al Austin, Council Member, Long Beach, Large City
Representative
Emily Beach, Council Member, Burlingame, Peninsula Division LaTanya Bellow, Deputy City Manager, Berkeley, Personnel and Employee Relations Department
John Binaski, Fire Chief, Clovis, Fire Chiefs Department London Breed, Mayor, San Francisco, Large City
Joe Buscaino, Council Member, President Pro Tem,
Los Angeles, Large City Representative
Ken Carlson, Council Member, Pleasant Hill, East Bay Division David Cohen, Council Member, San Jose, Large City
Representative
Michael Colantuono, City Attorney, Grass Valley,
City Attorneys Department
Pippin Dew, Council Member, Vallejo, North Bay Division Phill Dupper, Mayor, Loma Linda, Inland Empire Division Jerry Dyer, Mayor, Fresno, Large City
Edgard Garcia, Council Member, El Centro, Imperial
County Division
Todd Gloria, Mayor, San Diego, Large City
Karen Goh, Mayor, Bakersfield, Large City
Eric Guerra, Council Member, Sacramento, Large City
Representative
Rene Guerrero, Director of Public Works, Pomona,
Public Works Department
Gene Hernandez, Mayor Pro Tem, Yorba Linda, Orange
County Division
Steve Hofbauer, Mayor, Palmdale, Desert Mountain Division Lindsey Horvath, Council Member, West Hollywood,
NLC Board of Directors
Britt Huff, Mayor Pro Tem, Rolling Hills Estates, At-large Randi Johl, Legislative Director/City Clerk, Temecula City, Clerks Department
Dan Kalb, Council Member, Oakland, Large City Representative Ellen Kamei, Council Member, Mountain View, Women’s Caucus Lynne Kennedy, Mayor Pro Tem, Rancho Cucamonga, At-large Jim Lewis, City Manager, Pismo Beach, City Managers
Department
Corina Lopez, Council Member, San Leandro, NLC Board
of Directors
Gloria Ma’ae, Council Member, Anaheim, Large City
Representative
Tony Madrigal, Council Member, Modesto, Central Valley Division Juslyn Manalo, Council Member, Daly City, API Caucus
Ray Marquez, Mayor, Chino Hills, At-large
Lisa Middleton, Mayor, Palm Springs, At-large
Porsche Middleton, Mayor, Citrus Heights, At-large
John Minto, Mayor, Santee, San Diego County Division
Richard Montgomery, Mayor Pro Tem, Manhattan Beach,
At-large
Eric Nelson, Planning Commissioner, Dana Point, Planning and Community Development Department
Lori Ogorchock, Council Member, Antioch, Mayors and Council Members Department
Blanca Pacheco, Mayor, Downey, At-large
David Pollock, Council Member, Moorpark, Channel
Counties Division
Dave Potter, Mayor, Carmel, Monterey Bay Division
Ana Maria Quintana, Vice Mayor, Bell, Los Angeles
County Division
Gabe Quinto, Mayor, El Cerrito At-large
Roberta Raper, Dir. of Finance & Technology, West Sacramento, Fiscal Officers Department
Dana Reed, Mayor, Indian Wells, Riverside County Division David Sander, Council Member, Rancho Cordova, At-large
Jeff Smith, Police Chief, Pismo Beach, Police Chiefs Department Joan Smith Freeman, Mayor, Yreka, Sacramento Valley Division Esmeralda Soria, Council Member, Fresno, Latino Caucus
Kuldip Thusu, Council Member, Dinuba, South San Joaquin Valley Division
Mireya Turner, Mayor Pro Tem, Lakeport, Redwood
Empire Division
Nancy Young, Mayor, Tracy, At-large
The Cal Cities Board of Directors provides leadership and guidance, shaping state policy and the actions of the organization.