Dec. 7, 2012
Issue #121

Editor's Note

For a PDF copy of the newsletter please visit the League's website. For more updates from the League, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Court Requests Additional Briefing in League’s VLF Lawsuit to Address Proposition 30 Questions

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Lloyd Connelly, last month, requested the parties provide additional briefing in the League’s lawsuit, League of California Cities v. Chiang, to address the potential impacts of Proposition 30.

Key words: Legal Updates, Revenue and Taxation, State Budget, Municipal Finance

Sen. Lois Wolk Reintroduces Legislation on Infrastructure Financing Districts

Monday, Dec. 3 was the first day legislation for the 2013-14 legislative session could be introduced and Sen. Lois Wolk (D-Davis) wasted no time in introducing SB 33 (Wolk), a measure to update Infrastructure Financing District law, to make it a useful tool to help cities maintain, repair, and rebuild critical infrastructure and create economic development in their communities.

Key Words: Economic Development, Redevelopment, Infrastructure Financing Districts, Legislation

Municipal Bond Interest Tax-Exemption Targeted in Federal Budget Discussions

As 2012 draws to a close, the federal government is struggling with the looming fiscal cliff. While there is bipartisan support to avoid sequestration, how to do that remains controversial. Eliminating or limiting the federal tax exemption on interest earned from municipal bonds is one particularly troublesome proposal on the table in both the fiscal cliff and future federal tax reform discussions. 

Key Words: Federal, Revenue and Taxation, Municipal Finance

Legislature Assigns New Leadership, Assembly Member Achadjian New Local Government Chair

This week, both the Senate and the Assembly elected leadership for the 2013-14 legislative session. These legislators will play important roles in the progress of key bills affecting cities. The Assembly also announced its committee chairs; Senate chairs have not yet been revealed. The Assembly Local Government Committee, where many of the bills the League tracks during the legislative session are assigned, will now be chaired by Assembly Member Katcho Achadjian (R-San Luis Obispo), while newly elected Assembly Member Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) will serve as vice chair.

Key Words: Senate, Assembly

Local Measures November 2012 - Near Final Results

Final results are close to complete for the 368 local measures on the 2012 November ballots. In the tallies of additional votes since election night, four school bonds and one school parcel tax have flipped from failure to passage. A full report has been posted on the California Local Government Finance Almanac website.

Key Words: Revenue and Taxation, Municipal Finance, Elections, Ballot Initiatives

Are You Current on Your AB 1234 Ethics Training?

December 2012 and January 2013 Workshops Coming Up

Since 2005, as required by AB 1234, public officials are required to attend ethics training. Public officials are required to complete the training within one year of taking office, and repeat the training every two years. The Institute for Local Government (ILG) is offering a session at the Association of Bay Area Governments' (ABAG) 2012 Ethics Training Workshop on Dec. 20 in Oakland. 

Key Words: Institute for Local Government, Ethics, Meetings and Events

FY 2012 and FY 2013 Federal Grant Opportunities

Eligible cities are encouraged to apply for the following federal grants being offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Department of Education (ED), and the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

Key Words: Federal, Revenue and Taxation, Grants and Funding

League’s 2012 Legislative Report Available Online Now

On Nov. 13, via webinar, and on Nov. 14, in Riverside, the League held its Annual Legislative Briefings. The presentations focused on the state budget and key developments from the 2011-12 legislative year. The comprehensive report is now available for public download on the League’s website.

Key Words: Legislation, Administrative Services, Community Services, Employee Relations, Environmental Quality, Housing, Infrastructure, Land Use, Public Safety, Public Works, Revenue and Taxation, Transportation

Education and Conferences Updates – December 2012

Submit Your 2013 Annual Conference Session Ideas

The League’s 2013 Annual Conference & Expo will be held Sept. 18–20 in Sacramento. The League is currently accepting session ideas through its website. Submissions must include: a title (up to 10 words), description (100 words) and suggested speaker(s). The submission deadline for session ideas is Jan. 7, 2013.

Key Words: Meetings and Events

The Hit List from WesternCity.com

The most popular articles on the Western City magazine website in the past month included features on pension reform, new requirements for pension reporting, an easy reality check for public service ethics, innovative contracting techniques and more.

Key Words: Western City, Employee Relations, Pension Reform, Public Contracting, Ethics, Open Government