Each and ever day, California counties meet increasingly complex
challenges associated with providing vital services to our
state’s 38 million residents.
CSAC’s First Vice President and Yolo County Supervisor Mike
McGowan and Second Vice President and Del Norte County Supervisor
David Finigan joined Governor Brown and law enforcement
officials today at a news conference where the Governor pledged
“maximum state support” as local officials begin California’s
historic realignment to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s
prison-reduction order on October 1.
Governor Brown reiterated his strong support for a constitutional
Several California Counties will lose critical federal funding to
keep our schools open and roads paved, unless the federal
government reauthorizes their decades long commitment to
communities with federal forest land. The Secure Rural
Schools and Community Self Determination Act may be little known,
but it is a key fixture in a county’s ability to provide the most
basic services to those that work and live in a rural area.
You can get involved now by contacting Congress and urging them
to support this vital program for America’s rural
communities.
You might notice something new in the
CSAC Annual Meeting registration brochure this year: QR
codes. We’ve put one on the back cover and you can also find them
on the printed registration pages.
Another CSAC Annual Meeting is nearly upon us. For the past 116
years, California county officials have been coming together to
learn, plan and shape policy.
The CSAC Executive Committee met yesterday and engaged in lengthy
discussion about the 2011 realignment. The Committee focused its
discussion on the opportunity, path, and timing to secure a
constitutional amendment to afford counties protections. In
addition, the group discussed the fiscal structure for 2012-13
and beyond. Please recall that when the Legislature passed and
the Governor signed the budget, there was recognition that
additional work to refine the financing structure would take
place over the remainder of the legislative session.
One of the most popular exhibits at the California State Fair year in and
year out are the County Exhibits – and 2011 is no different. An
estimated 750,000 fairgoers are projected to tour the Counties
Exhibits Building this year.
Below you will find a visual look at the top county exhibits to
be honored this year. On July 30, the “People’s Choice” award
will be presented.
This decade, California’s population will grow by 11.5 percent —
about 4.3 million people — according to a
report the Department of Finance released last month. That
would put California’s total population at 41.7 million, higher
than the current populations of all but 30 countries in the
world.
California’s General Fund receipts for June came in both better
and worse than expected; they beat May Revision estimates by $440
million, but fell $350 million short of the enacted budget’s
assumption of $1.2 billion in extra revenue for May and June
combined.
The unequivocal good news is that the General Fund took in $1.8
billion more than it disbursed for the fiscal year as a whole.
California’s General Fund tax receipts beat expectations in May,
State Controller John Chiang announced today. Most of the
unexpected dollars came from the sales and use tax, which beat
budget estimates for the month by $305 million (+9.0%).
May General Fund revenues were nearly $747 million higher than in
May 2010 (+11.3%).
More than 300 county officials attended the first day of the 2011
CSAC Legislative Conference in Sacramento today. Featured
speakers included Governor Brown, Senator Lois Wolk, Assembly
Member and Former CSAC President Rich Gordon, Secretary of
the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Matthew Cates, and Sacramento Bee political writer Dan Morain.
What makes an excellent system of care for transition-age foster
youth? Humboldt County believes there are no better experts than
the youth themselves.
In 2008, the Humboldt County Transition Age Youth Collaboration
(HCTACY) was launched
in partnership with the Humboldt County Department of Health and
Human Services, the Y.O.U.T.H. Training Project, California Youth
Connection, and Youth In Mind.
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday (May 23) upheld a federal
court decision that mandated the release of up to 40,000 inmates
from the California prison system.
Fortunately, we’ve been working on this issue for almost two
years.
In the aftermath of April’s influx of income tax cash and the
lead-up to the May Revise, estimates of state revenue are tepidly
optimistic.
For the fiscal year so far, income taxes are well above
expectations, sales and use taxes are pretty much on target, and
corporate taxes, the smallest of the state’s Big 3, are lagging a
bit.
Overall, the state’s receipts appear that they will be $2 to $2.5
billion above budget estimates. Proposition 98 requires 40% of
that to go to local schools.
On Tuesday, May 3, I had the incredible privilege of attending at
an important meeting in the Executive Office Building in
Washington, D.C. Attended by NACo representatives from
throughout the country, we had an opportunity to discuss key
policy issues with Cabinet secretaries – not to mention the
President and Vice President!
David Agnew, Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the
White House, organized this meeting for just county officials.
The peace and serenity of Nevada County was shattered in early
2001 by gunfire that resulted in the death of three innocent
bystanders shot by a mentally ill local resident. One
of the victims was 19-year-old Laura Wilcox, an intern at the
County Behavioral Health Department. This tragedy set her
parents, the state Legislature and Nevada County on a long and
often controversial path that has resulted in Nevada being the
only County in the state to fully implement an Assisted Outreach
Treatment Program.
