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The County Voice

A place where CSAC, county officials and stakeholders can voice their thoughts on governance and issues that impact California’s 58 counties.

The County Voice

Rebuilding Your Life After a Devastating Fire Takes More Than Wood and Nails

Rebuilding Your Life After a Devastating Fire Takes More Than Wood and Nails
Brian Fies

Take your keys out of your purse or pocket and hand them to me.

Your house is mine now. Whatever you did when you left home this morning is the very last memory you’ll have of it and everything you own. You probably locked the door behind you without a thought, certain you’d be back soon. Wrong. You’ll never see it again. Maybe I’ll take your car, too.

The County Voice

The Curious Case of Budget Trailer Bills

Tracy Sullivan

You know how a bill becomes a law, you’ve listened to Schoolhouse Rock ad nauseam, but have you ever wondered about budget trailer bills? What they are and why they’re important?

From homelessness to new employee orientations to public safety realignment, budget trailer bills have impacted multiple aspects of county government over the years. 2018 was no exception with Governor Brown signing a total of 40 individual trailer bills, many of which impact counties in one way or another.

The County Voice

Napa County’s “Library of Things” Meeting Residents’ Needs

Danis Kreimeier

There was a time that when you thought of libraries and what they offered you would think “Books!” — or maybe story time if you had little ones at home. Some libraries had 8mm films and records available to borrow. Then along came the VCR and libraries started offering videos for loan. Remember CD-Roms? For a brief time libraries loaned those out, before the advent of on-line services became the norm.

The County Voice

Innovation – and Resiliency – are Alive and Well in California’s 58 Counties

David Liebler

To watch a video spotlighting this year’s award-winning programs, click here.

Innovation is alive and well in California Counties. That’s a phrase we often use in describing the annual CSAC Challenge Awards. But this year, perhaps a better phrase would be: resiliency is alive and well in California Counties.

California County leaders are continuously adapting to changing conditions, including economic downturns, legislative decisions made at the state level and even natural disasters.

The County Voice

The Legislative Session Ends — A Chance to Catch Our Breath and Reflect

Darby Kernan

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

For anyone involved in the legislative process, there’s nothing like the combination of stress, anxiety and excitement that comes with the Legislature’s end of session. And there’s nothing like the teamwork displayed by the CSAC staff to help us accomplish our goals. With the session ending Friday night, we can finally catch our breath and reflect on our legislative accomplishments on behalf of California Counties this year.

The County Voice

Counties Can Help Local Businesses Outsmart Disaster

Dick McCarthy

The Seismic Safety Commission wants county officials to help their local businesses prepare for the next natural disaster, whether it’s an earthquake, fire, or flood.

The County Voice

Join #CountiesCare Social Media Day this Wednesday

Jack Morgan

The National Association of Counties (NACo) invites you to participate in the #CountiesCare Social Media Day this Wednesday, Aug. 29, to showcase how counties have taken innovative pathways to alleviate poverty and increase well-being, particularly in our nation’s rural counties.

The County Voice

Please Join Us for CSAC’s 124th Annual Meeting

Leticia Perez

For the 124th time, county officials and staff will be coming together this fall for our Association’s Annual Meeting. In November, we will be gathering in San Diego County – and we hope you can join us.

The County Voice

CSAC Pledges Partnership in Developing Solutions to Risk of Wildfires

Graham Knaus

As longtime advocates on behalf of California’s 58 counties, CSAC has built its reputation on being solution-oriented. We do not take quick positions without suggesting alternatives or being willing to work together to find solutions to complex issues. That’s the core of our DNA.  

The County Voice

Fresh Ideas in Behavioral Health Require Commitment and Collaboration

Graham Knaus

California’s counties find themselves at the center of the complex responsibility to provide, integrate and finance critical behavioral health services in California.

Behavioral health is at the centerpoint of the most vexing policy challenges facing California’s counties today; from combatting homelessness, recovering from disasters, bending the criminal justice recidivism curve and cultivating a resilient workforce, each of these local challenges hinge on the county role in providing behavioral health services.  

The County Voice

Propositions 5 and 6 — Bad Ideas for California and Counties

Virginia Bass

Every year there are a couple of major issues that pose a distinct threat to the critical services counties provide to our citizens. Sometimes it’s legislation or new regulations. Other times, it’s state budget issues. This year there are two initiatives on the November ballot, Propositions 5 and 6, which threaten our ability to serve our residents and could pose significant problems for local governments.

The County Voice

Los Angeles County Planners Work to Ensure That Nothing is Lost in Translation

Los Angeles County Planners Work to Ensure That Nothing is Lost in Translation
David Liebler

More than 10 million people live in Los Angeles County – that’s a larger population than all but seven of our states. And out of those 10 million people, about 25 percent are Spanish-speaking and not proficient in English. When it came to the complex world of planning and permitting, many residents could not fully understand what they had to do.

The County Voice

NACo’s New President Discusses the Importance of “Connecting the Unconnected”

NACo’s New President Discusses the Importance of “Connecting the Unconnected”
Greg Cox

San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox was sworn in as the 2018-19 President of the National Association of Counties (NACo) on Monday.

When I first got involved in NACo more than 15 years ago, I never would have thought that I would be serving years later as NACo’s President.

But this week, I was honored and humbled to be sworn in to lead this outstanding organization in the year ahead.

The County Voice

Monterey County Gives Farmworkers a Voice in their Health and Safety

Monterey County Gives Farmworkers a Voice in their Health and Safety
David Liebler

Agriculture is a $4.5 billion industry in Monterey County, making it one of the largest producers in the state. Behind all of that production are as many as 50,000 farmworkers – many non-English speaking – who undertake back-aching work to ensure the produce reaches market. Yet historically these farmworkers worked in conditions that were sometimes hazardous. And historically, they had a limited voice in the community.

No longer.

The County Voice

Five Counties Weigh In on the Voters Choice Act

Five California Counties participated in the Voters Choice Act for the June 5 election, establishing a whole new way of voting. So, how did it go? Each of the Registrars in those counties responded to that question for us. Here are their answers.

Rebecca Martinez, Madera County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters

The County Voice

The Art of Listening is Alive and Well in Humboldt County

The Art of Listening is Alive and Well in Humboldt County
David Liebler

Humboldt County has a strong track record of reaching out to its constituents to hear their viewpoints on budget priorities. There’s a good reason the county is proactive in its public engagement. In a county covering nearly 4,000 square miles – much of it mountainous and rural – you can’t expect many residents to appear at county budget hearings to speak their mind for a couple of minutes. If you really want to hear what your residents are thinking, you need to go to them. And that’s exactly what Humboldt County has been doing through their budget roadshows.

The County Voice

San Bernardino County’s Collaborative Housing Program is Turning Lives Around

San Bernardino County’s Collaborative Housing Program is Turning Lives Around
David Liebler

Melissa Sierra had hit “rock bottom.” She had lost her job and home, and was out of money.  Life was becoming increasingly difficult for Sierra and her six children. That’s when she turned to San Bernardino County for help and was referred to a collaborative program that provides rapid re-housing assistance to CalWORKs-eligible homeless families with children.

The County Voice

Santa Cruz County Has Seen the Value of Results First

Fernando Giraldo

The CSAC-Results First partnership is a joint effort of CSAC under the umbrella of the California Counties Foundation, and the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative (Results First). Together, we provide tools and training to select California counties as they engage in evidence-based policymaking. The goal of CSAC-Results First is to support California counties to make data-driven policy decisions through the use of an innovative, outcomes-focused, cost-benefit analysis.

The County Voice

Los Angeles County, Local School Districts Use Technology to Help Foster Youth

Los Angeles County, Local School Districts Use Technology to Help Foster Youth
David Liebler

For foster children, the challenges are many, including often having to move from residence to residence – which can mean moving from school to school. This can result in school district officials not being completely aware of the foster youth in their classroom. Communication between a school district and county overseeing the foster youth can be sporadic and delayed. 

The County Voice

It’s Simple: Support Prop 69 to Protect Transportation Funding

Leticia Perez

This opinion piece originally ran in the Bakersfield Californian on May 29. 

California initiatives often are complex and confusing, but Proposition 69 on the June ballot is very simple: it will ensure that existing transportation revenues we already pay are used only for transportation improvement projects. It does this by preventing the Legislature from diverting the funds to non-transportation purposes.

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