Los Angeles County Division

*Nonmember city

The division is guided by an executive committee under the leadership of a division president. Elected city officials and professional city staff attend division meetings throughout the year to share what they are doing and advocate for their interests in Sacramento. Division members also participate in the development of Cal Cities policy through representation on:

• The Cal Cities Board of Directors;
• Policy committees;

Division Officers

• Commission on Alcohol & Other Drugs
• Commission on Local Governmental Services
• Countywide Criminal Justice Coordination Committee
• Emergency Medical Services Commission
• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Authority Technical Advisory Committee
• Solid Waste Management Committee/Integrated Waste Management Task Force

2023 Legislative Platform

The Los Angeles County Division (Division) recognizes the need for an active and timely county, state, and federal advocacy program to protect the interest of cities throughout Los Angeles County. As a subunit of the League of California Cities (Cal Cities), the Division relies on Cal Cities’ Summary of Existing Policy and Guiding Principles as the primary tool for a focused advocacy strategy for the Division’s Board of Directors and staff.

The Division’s Legislative Platform is intended to help direct staff, in consultation with the Division President and Vice President, to act on a time-sensitive issue when the Division’s Executive board is unable to meet. The Legislative Platform is not exhaustive of all issue areas of relevance to the Division and is not intended to supplant the deliberative role and actions of the Division’s Legislative Committee.

Ballot Measures

The Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act Initiative No. 21-0042A1
Limits voters’ input, adopts new and stricter rules for raising taxes and fees, and makes it more difficult to hold state and local law violators accountable. 
Division Position: Oppose
Status: Qualified for November 2024 Ballot

Budget Requests

Support $3 billion in ongoing funding to increase housing supply and reduce homelessness.

Safeguard local revenues and supporting local fiscal sustainability.

Repay nearly $1 billion in state-mandated program costs owed to local governments. 

Restore FY 23-24 State Transportation Funding to honor and restore previously committed transportation funding for Intercity Rail Capital Programs, Active Transportation, Safety Grade Separations and the State Highway Account.

Legislation

SB 251 (Newman) Political Reform Act of 1974: elected officers: conflicts of interest. Prohibits an elected officer from employment by any other elected officer with the same constituency, except if the elected officer first began their employment by the other elected officer with the same constituency on or before December 31, 2023. The bill would not apply to statewide elected officers.
Division Position: Oppose

SB 411 (Portantino) Open meetings: teleconferences: neighborhood councils. As amended 4/24/23. Currently limits teleconference capability to Neighborhood Councils in the City of Los Angeles and should be amended back to its introduced language allowing appointed bodies to teleconference meetings without having to notice and make publicly accessible each teleconference location.
Division Position: Support if Amended

SB 423 (Wiener) Land use: streamlined housing approvals: multifamily housing developments. Expands SB 35 (Chapter 366, Statutes of 2017) provisions and eliminates the January 1, 2026 sunset date, permanently requiring cities to ministerially approve certain housing projects without public input or environmental review.
Division Position: Oppose         

SB 537 (Becker) Open Meetings: multijurisdictional, cross-county agencies: teleconferences. As amended 4/24/23. Currently limits members of multijurisdictional bodies to participate remotely only if the meeting location is more than 40 miles (one-way) from their home, among other limitations.  The bill should be amended back to its original language to allow appointed bodies of a multijurisdictional agency to teleconference meetings without having to notice and make publicly accessible each teleconference location.
Division Position: Support if Amended

AB 557 (Hart) Open Meetings: local agencies: teleconferences. Eliminates the January 1, 2024, sunset on the provisions of the Brown Act that provided additional flexibility for local agencies looking to meet remotely during an emergency while still maintaining public access and transparency under AB 361 (R. Rivas, 2021). The bill would also extend the renewal period for resolutions declaring the use of AB 361 to 45 days (up from 30 days). By doing so AB 557 would provide accommodation for those agencies regularly meeting on a fixed date every month.
Division Position: Support 

SB 602 (Archuleta) Trespass. Extends the effective duration of Letters of Agency from 30 days to 12 months and the operative timeframe of trespass authorization letters from 12 months to 3 years for the purpose of removing graffiti and mitigating other public nuisances on private property visible from public rights of way.
Division Position: Support

AB 817 (Pacheco) Local government: open meetings. Provides a narrow exemption under the Ralph M. Brown Act for non-decision-making legislative bodies currently governed by Act, such as advisory bodies and commissions, to participate in two-way virtual teleconferencing without posting physical location of members.
Division Position: Support

AB 1379 (Papan) Open Meetings: local agencies: teleconference. As amended 3/23/23. Requires a legislative body electing to use teleconferencing to post agendas at a singular designated physical meeting location rather than at all teleconference locations. Allows quorum to be established by remote participation, at the designated physical location, or at both the designated physical meeting location and remotely. Also requires the legislative body to have at least 2 meetings per year in which the legislative body’s members are in person at a singular designated physical meeting location.
Division Position: Support 

AB 1484 (Zbur) Temporary public employees. As amended 3/28/23. Requires inclusion of temporary employees in the same bargaining unit as permanent employees and that the wages, hours, plus terms of condition of employment for both temporary and permanent employees must be bargained together in a single memorandum of understanding. 
Division Position: Oppose

AB 1708 (Muratsuchi) Theft. With voter approval, would require a person convicted of petty theft or shoplifting, if the person has two or more prior convictions for specified retail theft-related offenses, to be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year. Additionally, this measure would offer pre-plea diversion opportunities.
Division Position: Support

The Division's Board of Directors meet every fall to review the previous year’s accomplishments and adopt strategic goals for the following year.

The Board of Directors identified these Division Strategic Priorities for 2023:

• Support legislation, policies, funding and other resources that would improve public safety and address law enforcement challenges.
• Support adequate funding and other resources to increase the supply of affordable housing and its required infrastructure.
• Advocate for direct funding and other resources to address homelessness.
• Support legislation and policies that protect and preserve local decision-making authority over land use, housing, and other matters traditionally reserved for cities. Oppose unfunded mandates and seek funding for prior unfunded mandates.
  

The Board of Directors also identified Long Range Strategic Priorities:

• Outreach to federal, state and county representatives, specifically newly-elected and those officials in leadership.
• Encourage Los Angeles County Division city officials to apply for Cal Cities’ leadership positions and other related committee appointments to reflect the region’s population and influence.
• Provide educational and training opportunities for Los Angeles County Division city officials on effective legislative outreach and advocacy.
• Communicate and share value of Cal Cities and Division resources.