Senate Bill No. 1276

Introduced by Senator Moorlach

February 19, 2016

An act to amend Section 56001 of the Government Code, relating to local government.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1276, as introduced, Moorlach. Local agencies.

Existing law, the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000, establishes the sole and exclusive authority and procedure for the initiation, conduct, and completion of changes of organization and reorganization for cities and districts.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the above-described law.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 56001 of the Government Code is
amended to read:

56001.  

The Legislature finds and declares that it is the policy
of the state to encourage orderly growth and begin delete development end delete
begin insert development, end insert which are essential to the social, fiscal, and economic
well-being of the state. The Legislature recognizes that the logical
formation and determination of local agency boundaries is an
important factor in promoting orderly development and in
balancing that development with begin insert the end insert sometimes competing state
interests of discouraging urban sprawl, preserving open-space and
prime agricultural lands, and efficiently extending government
services. The Legislature also recognizes that providing housing
for persons and families of all incomes is an important factor in
promoting orderly development. Therefore, the Legislature further
finds and declares that this policy should be effected by the logical
formation and modification of the boundaries of local agencies,
with a preference granted to accommodating additional growth
within, or through the expansion of, the boundaries of those local
agencies which can best accommodate and provide necessary
governmental services and housing for persons and families of all
incomes in the most efficient manner feasible.

The Legislature recognizes that urban population densities and
intensive residential, commercial, and industrial development
necessitate a broad spectrum and high level of community services
and controls. The Legislature also recognizes that when areas
become urbanized to the extent that they need the full range of
community services, priorities are required to be established
regarding the type and levels of services that the residents of an
urban community need and desire; that community service
priorities be established by weighing the total community service
needs against the total financial resources available for securing
community services; and that those community service priorities
are required to reflect local circumstances, conditions, and limited
financial resources. The Legislature finds and declares that a single
multipurpose governmental agency is accountable for community
service needs and financial resources and, therefore, may be the
best mechanism for establishing community service priorities
especially in urban areas. Nonetheless, the Legislature recognizes
the critical role of many limited purpose agencies, especially in
rural communities. The Legislature also finds that, whether
governmental services are proposed to be provided by a
single-purpose agency, several agencies, or a multipurpose agency,
responsibility should be given to begin delete the end delete begin insert an end insert agency or agencies that
can best provide government services.