Item Number: 18
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: July 15, 2025
Submitted By:
Keith C. Metzler, City Manager
Subject:
San Bernardino Council of Governments Presentation
Recommendation:
Any action is at the discretion of your Honorable City Council.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item at this time.
Background:
The San Bernardino Council of Governments (“SBCOG” or the “COG”) is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) that comprises a membership of 24 cities/towns and the County of San Bernardino (“Member Agencies”). SBCOG was formed with the purpose of attending to and addressing issues and problems with a regional unified voice as opposed to having individual cities/towns or the County attend to issues of region wide concern on its own.
SBCOG was originally formed in 1973 and Victorville has been a member since its origination. It is important to note for consideration of this item, SBCOG is separate and distinct from the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) as SBCTA has been formed and exists specifically to address countywide transportation issues.
SBCOG is governed by a Board of Directors where each participating member of the JPA has a seat on the board. Victorville’s appointed representation to SBCOG is Council Member Debra Jones as its primary member and Mayor Pro Tem Harriman as the City’s alternate.
On January 3, 2024, the SBCOG Board of Directors approved the 4th Amendment to its existing JPA (Attachment B) which changed the methodology in which the JPA assesses the dues the Member Agencies pay. This amendment allows the assessments to be calculated in accordance with SBCOG policy as adopted by the Board of Directors. 4 2
4 5
On March 19, 2024, following a presentation by SBCOG representatives, the Victorville City Council approved the 4th Amendment to the JPA and committed to membership for a minimum of two years with the understanding that SBCOG would provide annual in- person updates outlining the benefits received in Victorville and projected benefits.
All Member Agencies have since consented to this 4th Amendment to the JPA.
On November 6, 2024, the SBCOG Board of Directors adopted Policy No. 10014, which established a formula for calculating member agency dues to fund a minimum annual budget of $1,500,000. The formula includes an additional “gap” assessment based on each agency’s population and General Fund revenue (Attachment C). To reach the $1,500,000 budget, SBCOG implemented the increases over a two-year period. As a result, Victorville’s total assessment rose from $20,338 in Fiscal Year 2023/2024 to $44,360 in Fiscal Year 2024/2025, and to $67,590 in Fiscal Year 2025/2026 (Attachment D).
Discussion:
In response to the City Council’s March 19, 2024 request for an annual in-person update on the benefits received and projected from SBCOG, representatives from SBCOG have prepared the attached presentation slides (Attachment A), which they will present during the City Council meeting.
Staff remains available for any questions or comments you may have.
Prepared By:
Scott Webb, Deputy City Manager
Attachments: A. SBCOG Presentation
B. JPA Amendment No. 4
C. SBCOG Board of Directors Policy No. 10014
D. General Assessment Dues Calculation for Fiscal Year 2024/2025 & Fiscal Year 2025/2026