CSDA PUBLICATIONS DESCRIPTIONS

• Special District Board Member/Trustee Handbook: The handbook is perfect for either introducing newly elected officials to the world of special districts or for keeping seasoned board members/trustees current on their roles and responsibilities. Topics detailed in the handbook include: roles and responsibilities, accountability, why governance is important, learning more about special districts, ethics laws for elected or appointed officials, the Ralph M. Brown Act, being a special district advocate, and the media. Additionally, it serves as a prelude to the four courses offered in CSDA's Special District Governance Academy.
• Developing a Local Agency Ethics Code: A Process-Oriented Guide: This publication from the Institute for Local Self-Government shows how to adopt and implement a values-based ethics code. It describes steps local agencies can take to adopt or update an ethics code. Recognizing that different agencies will choose to emphasize different ethical values in their codes, the guide offers a "menu" of possible code provisions as opposed to a one-size-fits-all sample policy.
• Special District Reserve Guidelines: This publication is designed to assist special district governing officials and administrators in fulfilling their commitment to provide cost-effective and efficient public services for the communities they serve. The guidelines may be used to evaluate an existing reserve policy, or to develop a new reserve policy, and encourages comprehensive and easily understood policies. Some of the areas covered in the document include: Prudent Accumulation & Management of Reserves; Capital Planning; and Fund Equity & Retained Earnings.
• Of Cookie Jars and Fishbowls: A Public Official's Guide to Use of Public Resources: The power to make decisions about the appropriate use of public resources is a trust for both elected and appointed officials. This guide explores ethical and legal considerations that bear on spending decisions, and features a sample expense policy.
• A Local Official's Reference on Ethics Laws - 2007: Updated version of the Official's Guide to Ethics Laws: This comprehensive guide is packed with useful information on the ethical “dos and don'ts” for elected or appointed public officials. Crucial areas covered include: public disclosure of personal economic interests, receipt of loans, gifts, travel payments and honoraria, conflicts of interest, campaign contributions and bias, having an interest in a contract, dual office holding and incompatible offices, and criminal misconduct in office.
• California Independent Special Districts Information Brochure: This brochure, which is free of time-dated information to ensure a long shelf life, defines special districts, highlights the services they provide, outlines who runs them, and explains how they operate. This brochure serves as a great public information piece for your district constituents, local media representatives, and policymakers.
• Open & Public IV - A users guide to the Ralph M. Brown Act: All meetings of the legislative body of a local agency shall be open and public, and all persons shall be permitted to attend any meeting of the legislative body of a local agency… The main goal of this publication is to put the Ralph M. Brown Act in an easy to read format, so it can be readily understood by local officials, the public, and the news media. Topics covered in Open & Public III include: meetings, legislative bodies/committees, notice and agenda, teleconferencing, rights of the public, and closed sessions.
• Everyday Ethics for Local Officials: An analysis of a series of everyday ethical dilemmas faced by elected officials and others in public service.
• Campaigning Effectively for Local Office: Good People Can Finish First: A nuts-and-bolts guide to running a campaign for local office ethically and effectively.
• Key Ethics Law Principles for Public Servants: Don't be caught unawares on ethics law issues. This handy “bookmark” (perfect to keep in agenda binders) alerts local officials to situations triggering a need to consult with their agency counsel on ethics legal issues.
• Local Officials Ethics Checklist: Questions to Ask in Sticky Situations: A wallet-sized checklist of questions designed to guide local officials through ethical dilemmas.
• The ABCs of Open Government Laws: This quarter-fold pamphlet, hole punched and ready to add to any binder or working group materials provides the general rules for Open Government Laws including: conducting the public's business in public, the public's right to participate in meetings, and the public's right to access agency records. It is a great resource tool for your directors and the public alike.
• CSDA Sample Policy Handbook - 2005 Update: This handbook is an accumulation of policies pertaining to special districts including: General Board Policies including adoption and amendment of policies. Over 35 Personnel Policies such as sexual harassment, advancement of wages, benefits, educational assistance, and nepotism. For a complete list of the contents in this handbook contact the CSDA office.
• Walking The Line: What To Do When You Suspect an Ethics Problem: This reprinted pamphlet was first published in Western City Magazine in August and September of 2005 under the title “Navigating the Perils of Public Service.” Western City is the League of California Cities' monthly magazine.
• Win the Right Way: How To Run Effective Local Campaigns: Candidates don't have to sling mud to win. This state-of-the-art guide combines research on voter attitudes from UC Berkeley's Center for Campaign Leadership with honest advice from leading campaign strategist on how to run clean, honest, effective campaigns for public office in California.
• 2005-06 Administrative Salary & Benefits Survey is a publication designed to provide special districts with the data and information necessary to evaluate the salary and benefits offered by a variety of special districts. Additionally, districts can compare data results from similar districts in order to get information that better fits their operating environment.
• Video – Ethics and the Elected Official – Avoiding the Slippery Slope: This 13-minute video identifies ethics-related situations that can unexpectedly arise for local officials and offers thoughts on how to deal with them. It also explores the distinction between what is legal and what is ethical.
• Video – Ethics Law Training for Elected Officials: Covers important topics as conflicts of interest, gifts, honoraria, travel paid for by others, misuse of public funds and incompatible activities. Approved for 1.5 hours MCLE credit.