Features

Retirements, generational shifts, and changing attitudes about work-life balance have shifted employee loyalties and tenures. Many of us are wondering how to stop the churn and make our organizations places where people want to work for long stretches of their careers. One solution is to invest in diversity recruitment and retention.

PFAS are ubiquitous, virtually indestructible, and linked to significant health risks. We are only beginning to determine how to best manage, communicate, and ultimately assess liability for the cleanup.  

Have you ever wondered what happens with the sales tax you pay at a retail counter or online? What can cities do with that money? Here are 10 things you should know — but may have been afraid to ask — about California’s sales and use tax.

Statewide affordable housing production is not growing fast enough to close the state’s housing gap. However, it is not impossible to reverse the trends that got us here — so long as we can learn from our mistakes.

California’s massive state budget surplus dominated every legislative conversation this year and lawmakers competed fiercely to ensure their priorities were passed. Through it all, Cal Cities fought for the best interests of cities: Cal Cities tracked or engaged with 1,430 bills and protected cities’ interests in the courts, at the federal level, and in the regulatory arena.

In recent years, calls for police reform have mounted alongside calls to reduce the rise in crime. By understanding and addressing the root causes of crime, cities can address both concerns and create communities where everyone can feel safe and succeed. This requires a radical reshaping of how we understand public safety.

Despite bold steps from cities and historic investments from the state and federal governments, California’s digital divide persists. A 2021 survey on broadband adoption found that nearly 1.25 million households — 10% of the state’s total — remain unconnected to the internet at home. It is crucial that local governments continue to lead the way and advocate for swift action.

Next month, over 1,800 California city officials will come together for the League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo in Long Beach. The conference offers numerous ways to learn, collaborate, and connect with like-minded professionals about top city issues, including housing, infrastructure, organic waste recycling, and public meetings. 

California’s new organics waste law is the most ambitious change to trash in 30 years. The law seeks to dramatically reduce methane pollution, a key contributor to the climate change crisis, by reducing organic waste. Although the road to full implementation is ongoing, the state has seen remarkable progress since the requirements took effect earlier this year.