Let’s Make Special Districts Stronger at the Capitol – Together

By: @Kyle Packham

Here in California, if special districts want a better seat at the table when it comes to funding, infrastructure, and other needs, we need to make our voice – and our presence – known.

Many special districts have developed a relationship with at least one of their legislators, but while one legislator can author and introduce a bill, it takes at least 40 more Assembly Members and 20 more State Senators to pass that bill and get it to the Governor’s desk.  No one district can do that on its own.

That’s what CSDA’s Grassroots Mobilization program is for, and one reason why being part of a statewide association like CSDA is so important. By working together, we can pool our influence with individual legislators to help support or oppose state policy proposals that affect how special districts statewide serve their communities.

If you have legislative relationships already please let us know by taking our 30-second Grassroots Mobilization Survey at csda.net/take-action. Your answers are completely confidential – if an opportunity arises for you to consider asking one of your contacts to support or oppose pending legislation, CSDA staff will reach out to you directly to discuss the issue and how you can help.

If you don’t have relationships with your legislators, there are several resources available from CSDA to help you build those bridges:

• Check out our webinar, “Building Relationships with Your Lawmaker’s Office” featuring a panel of actual legislative field staff discussing how you can help build relationships and partner with Legislators through their district offices.
• You can also check out “Grassroots Advocacy 101” which offers several tips for getting to your legislators’ attention. Spoiler alert: they actually WANT to hear from you, so don’t hesitate to pick up the phone or send an email and invite them to coffee, or to tour your facility.
• Finally, look at our Take Action Toolkit for links to directories of the California State Assembly and Senate, as well as the US House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, with contact info for all your local representatives.

One other important tip: you have stakeholders in your community who, while they may not be special districts themselves, serve or benefit from you as an organization and share some common interests. These third-party voices can be invaluable sources of support in your advocacy. 

You will not want to miss our Day Two Trainings at Special Districts Legislative Days on May 21 in Sacramento, including a Panel on Why and How to Win with Grassroots and our “Beyond Legislative Days” presentation on developing a grassroots strategy. Be sure to REGISTER NOW before the April 23 Early Bird Deadline.

Special districts are addressing California’s biggest challenges every day. They are the backbone of California’s economy and infrastructure, and provide highly specialized services to virtually every Californian. Our elected leaders, our media, and our communities need to hear our story.

Let’s Take Action together!