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Last week special district leaders from throughout California gathered virtually for CSDA’s annual Special District Legislative Days to hear from a robust line up of speakers, including:

• S. Representative John Garamendi
• Assembly member Aguiar-Curry
• Erica Pan, MD, MPH, FAAP – State Epidemiologist and Deputy Director, Center for Infectious Diseases
• Jessica Morse – Deputy Secretary of Forest Resource Management, California Natural Resources Agency
• Keali'i Bright – Director, Division for Land Resource Protection, California Department of Conservation
• Deborah Jordan - Acting Regional Administrator for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
• Robert Fenton – Regional Administrator for FEMA, Region 9
• Brittney Barsotti – General Counsel, California News Publishers Association 

Attendees additionally received updates from CSDA’s federal and state advocates on legislation and the effort to secure direct relief funding for special districts impacted by the COVID-19 response. Special districts are being asked to take action by contacting their legislators this week to advocate for funding.

We ask for your help to please contact your State Legislators today

Action Needed Before June 15 Budget Vote: Legislators need to hear from you that funding for all impacted special districts is needed. This is the final push before the final budget is determined – when your Legislators hear from you, it really can make a difference:

Please call and ask for the state to extend relief funds to all impacted special districts and specifically ask for their support for the funding (or funding proposal mentioned below) that is important to your district.

Included in current budget proposals is funding for:

• Rate payer assistance for utility non-payment
• Economic assistance for ports
• Investments for priority transit projects

 Budget proposals Do Not include funding for: 

• Local parks and open spaces
• Fire protection
• Most other special district services not mentioned above

Your efforts make a difference: This is not the first time Legislators should be hearing about special district impacts and need for relief. This call to action follows tremendous effort across the organization and by hundreds of special districts like yours over the past year.

Thanks to all who have stepped up to help us advocate for relief and supported our calls for help! As a direct result of our coalition’s efforts, we have been able to:

• Host 173 meetings the Administration, State Agencies, Legislature, and their staffs, including the Governor’s Office, Senate and Assembly Leadership, and Agency leaders and board members
• Elevate special district needs on 84 CalOES briefing calls
• Provide opportunity for 332 special districts to participate in meetings
• Obtain regulatory relief in the form of updated guidance, waivers, deferrals of action, and modifications to requirements
• Funding proposals to address COVID-19 impacts to special districts providing water, wastewater, electricity, ports, and transit
• Build a coalition nearly 750 strong, and growing daily including the support of statewide organizations, counties, cities, special districts, local businesses, community leaders, and concerned residents across the state
• Secure a legislative sign-on letter, signed by 46 State Legislators to Governor Gavin Newsom
• Secure letters from Senators Feinstein and Padilla and 15 members of the California Congressional Delegation urging the state to share relief funds with special districts
• Engage with the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) and Little Hoover Commission (LHC) prior to their reports highlighting the need for special district relief and the State’s authority to grant it.

How to Find Your State Legislators: Go to “Find Your California Representative” and type in your address. This will provide your State Senator and Assembly Member for that physical location. Their Capitol and district office phone numbers will always be available. If there is no posted e-mail, and you prefer e-mail correspondence, you can call and ask for the e-mail of the staff person handling COVID-19 issues for the legislator.