Blogs

Grants Update: Week of January 26, 2026

By Morgan Leskody posted 4 days ago

New Grant Opportunities Department of Agriculture FY 2026 Water and Waste Facility Loans and Grants to Alleviate Health Risks on Tribal Lands and Colonias WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to support low-income communities that face significant health risks resulting from the lack of access to, or the use of, adequate and affordable water or waste disposal services. Funding will support projects that will build basic drinking water and waste disposal systems, including systems to handle stormwater drainage. Click here for more information. WHO'S ELIGIBLE? Eligible applicants are state and local governments that serve eligible ...

Federal Legislative Update: Week of January 26, 2026

By Morgan Leskody posted 4 days ago

House and Senate Action The Senate is the only chamber in session this week. Senate The Senate convened this afternoon, a day later than planned due to the snow and ice storm affecting much of the region. Lawmakers will focus primarily on averting a partial government shutdown ahead of the end-of-week funding deadline (more on this below). Shutdown Risk Grows as Senate Takes Up Funding Package With the January 30 government funding deadline just days away, Congress enters a pivotal week as attention shifts to the Senate and the fate of a six-bill appropriations package advanced by the House late last week. The House cleared its final round ...

New water tunnels under Lake Travis provide a lifeline for 3 Williamson County cities (TX)

By Kristin Withrow posted 4 days ago

People walk past construction equipment in a tunnel being built underneath Lake Travis by the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority. This article was originally published by Kut News on January 8, 2026 by Kailey Hunt The Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority has reached a major milestone in the construction of its new water delivery system. All of the project's underground components, including two 11-foot-wide tunnels located underneath Lake Travis, have been completed. "The underground work, the mining, the lining of the tunnels, is all now complete, aside from minor touch ups," Aaron Archer, senior vice president at the civil engineering ...

Newly Released Edition of the Special District Uniform Accounting and Reporting Procedures

By Morgan Leskody posted 4 days ago

By: @Ophelia Szigeti The 2025 Edition of the Special District Uniform Accounting and Reporting Procedures (SPD) manual is now available on State Controller’s Office website. Special Districts are encouraged to review the updated manual by clicking here and scrolling down to “Special District Uniform Accounting and Reporting Procedures (SPD) ”. The SPD manual provides uniform accounting and reporting procedures that conform to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as prescribed by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). The State Controller’s Office (SCO) is charged with prescribing uniform accounting and reporting procedures for ...

Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom Honored as CSDA Legislator of the Year

By Morgan Leskody posted 4 days ago

By: @Dane Wadlé Special districts in San Joaquin County and across the state recognized Assemblmember Rhodesia Ransom (AD-13) as the CSDA’ Legislator of the Year at an event held at the Stanislaus-San Joaquin Bi-County Chapter meeting last week. This annual award is presented to a lawmaker for their outstanding support of the local service specialists responsible for providing water, sanitation, healthcare, fire protection, parks, open space, resource conservation, mosquito abatement, and other essential services and infrastructure to communities throughout California. The CSDA Chapter meeting was held at the San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control ...

Suspense Outcomes on Website Mandate, Pension Legislation and Other Two-Year Bills

By Morgan Leskody posted 4 days ago

By: @Ophelia Szigeti On January 22, the California State Senate and Assembly Committees on Appropriations held their respective Suspense File hearings ahead of the deadline for committees to report to the floor “two-year” bills introduced in their house of origin. Among the key bills impacting special districts were three costly measures opposed by CSDA: AB 810, AB 1439, and AB 1383. Of particular concern to CSDA and its members was AB 810 (Irwin) Local government: internet websites and email addresses , which would have required local government agencies, including special districts, to adhere to a specified website format which would have included ...

Water rescue conducted on Missouri River near Chamois (MO)

By Kristin Withrow posted 8 days ago

This article was originally published by the Maries County Advocate December 31, 2025 by Elise Brochu, Staff Writer CHAMOIS — A water rescue on the Missouri River concluded safely Saturday morning after two adult paddlers and a dog were located and returned to shore near Chamois. According to the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched after receiving a call from the paddlers, who had spent the night on the river. One of the paddlers later said dense morning fog made it unsafe to continue. Deputies responded alongside the Chamois Fire Protection District, using an Osage County Sheriff’s Office rescue boat to reach the paddlers. ...

Federal Legislative Update: Week of January 19, 2025

By Morgan Leskody posted 10 days ago

House and Senate Action The House is the only chamber in session this week. House House leaders are nearing the finish line on the full slate of FY 2026 appropriations, with a four-bill minibus expected to move this week, roughly 10 days ahead of the January 30 funding deadline. The package is expected to include Defense, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, and Transportation-HUD, along with several potential add-ons that have bipartisan support. While appropriators are optimistic about the outcome, the package does face some headwinds. For example, funding for the Department of Homeland Security is expected to be particularly contentious for ...

RiGHT Launches Innovative Revegetation Project (CO)

By Kristin Withrow posted 10 days ago

On Long-Term Agricultural Property in Alamosa County This article was originally published in the Valley Courier by Jocelyn Catterson, Community Engagement Director, Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust on December 28, 2025 DEL NORTE — The Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust (RiGHT) is launching an innovative project on a 140-acre agricultural property in Alamosa County, in partnership with Wetland Dynamics, LLC, the Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program, and landowners Brian and Lindsay Meredith. Situated in the historic floodplain of the Rio Grande, the land has been in production for decades and has been managed organically since 2017. The property ...

NSDA supports Protecting & Enhancing Tax-exempt Municipal Bonds

By Morgan Leskody posted 11 days ago

NSDA joins coalition letter with the Public Finance Network, including hundreds of thousands of public sector entities that issue debt to finance and build the infrastructure that contributes to strong economies at the state and local levels across the country. There is broad bipartisan support in Congress to enhance municipal bonds for state and local governments, thereby providing a more powerful, cost-effective way to drive further investment and economic growth. We urge members of Congress to join in supporting these bipartisan provisions: Restore the Tax-Exemption for Advance Refunding Municipal Bonds, Support Small Issuers, Eliminate Sequestration for Existing ...

CSDA Files Amicus Briefs In Support of Districts – 2025 Wrap-Up

By Morgan Leskody posted 11 days ago

By: @Mustafa Hessabi , CSDA Chief Counsel As 2025 drew to a close, CSDA continued to represent the voice of special districts in the courts. As part of CSDA’s efforts to represent the interests of independent special districts wherever law or policy is made – including the courts – CSDA has tracked dozens of cases and has acted in key cases described below that may influence the revenues, operations, or governance of public agencies. CSDA receives insights on its amicus efforts from the Legal Advisory Working Group , comprised of attorneys throughout the state with experience serving the unique needs of special districts and the communities they serve. ...

Grants Update: Week of January 19, 2025

By Morgan Leskody posted 11 days ago

New Grant Opportunities Department of Energy FY 2026 Digitizing Utilities Prize Round 3: Resilient Grid Innovation WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to incentivize technology development partnerships with interdisciplinary teams of software developers and data experts to transform digital systems, data analytics, and grid resource integration for the electric sector. Click here for more information. WHO'S ELIGIBLE? Eligible applicants are private entities, nonfederal entities, tribes, municipalities, and academic institutions. TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? $2.4 million WHEN IS IT DUE? April 9, 2026 (Phase 1); December ...

Make or Break for Two Costly Pension Reform Measures Opposed by CSDA

By Morgan Leskody posted 15 days ago

By: @Aaron Avery As the second year of the 2025-2026 Legislative Session kicks into high gear, the State Legislature is dispensing with “two-year” bills left over from 2025. January 31 is the last day for bills still in their “house of origin” (i.e., the State Assembly for Assembly Bills), to pass to their second house. Two important public pension bills subject to January 31 deadline include AB 1383 [McKinnor] Public employees’ retirement benefits , and AB 1439 [Garcia] Public retirement systems: development projects: labor standards . AB 1383 seeks to make several significant changes to public pension plans, which would undermine the landmark pension ...

Grants Update: Week of January 12, 2026

By Morgan Leskody posted 17 days ago

New Grant Opportunities Department of Agriculture FY 2026 Circuit Rider Program: Technical Assistance for Rural Water Systems WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to provide technical assistance to rural water systems that are experiencing day-to-day operational, financial, or managerial issues. Click here for more information. WHO'S ELIGIBLE? Eligible applicants are public bodies, nonprofit corporations, and Indian tribes that have rural water systems and the legal authority to own and operate water facilities. TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? Rather than providing monetary awards, this program provides technical assistance to ...