State resources

California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions (CALAFCO)

https://calafco.org/
The California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions (CALAFCO) serves as an organization dedicated to assisting member LAFCOs with educational, technical and legislative resources. The Association provides state-wide coordination of LAFCO activities, serves as a resource to the Legislature and other bodies, and offers a structure for sharing information among the various LAFCOs and other governmental agencies.

The membership of CALAFCO consists of all 58 of the LAFCOs in California, along with an associate membership of firms and agencies which support the educational mission of the organization.

California Special District Association (CSDA)

https://www.csda.net/home
The California Special Districts Association (CSDA) was formed in 1969 to promote good governance and improved core local services through professional development, advocacy, and other services for all types of independent special districts.

CSDA provides education and training, insurance programs, legal advice, industry-wide litigation and public relations support, legislative advocacy, capital improvement and equipment funding, collateral design services, and, most importantly, current information that is crucial to a special districts management, and operational effectiveness.

Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)

https://www.abag.ca.gov/
In 1961, the Bay Area’s local governments came together to form ABAG as a response to state legislation that would have supplanted local control over all bridges, ports, and transit operations in the Bay Area.

ABAG’s mission ever since has been to strengthen cooperation and collaboration among local governments to provide innovative and cost effective solutions to common problems that they face.

The ABAG Planning and Research Department works with local governments and stakeholders to develop and implement innovative solutions for issues involving land use planning, housing, transportation, environmental climate change, earthquakes and disaster resilience, and economic equity.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)

https://mtc.ca.gov/
MTC is the metropolitan planning organization for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. MTC is also the regional transportation planning agency for the Bay Area.

One of MTC’s core roles is to adopt a long-range plan to guide transportation and housing for the next 25 years. Developed with extensive public input, the plan is updated every four years. MTC also works to secure the funds to make this regional vision a reality, by lobbying for grants in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., helping to shape national and statewide transportation funding programs, and bringing regional funding measures before voters.

Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR)

http://www.opr.ca.gov/
The Office of Planning and Research (OPR) created by Statute in 1970 is part of the Office of the Governor. OPR serves the Governor and his Cabinet as staff for long-range planning and research, and constitutes the comprehensive state planning agency. Government Code Section 65040

The Government and Public Resources Codes set forth multiple functions for OPR including:

Formulation of long-range land use goals and policies
Coordination of research on growth and development
Management of state planning grants, and encouragement of local and regional planning
Creation of General Plan Guidelines
Drafting of CEQA Guidelines
Coordination with US military for land use and other issues in the state

California State Controller

https://sco.ca.gov/
The State Controller is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The Controller is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board and Board of Equalization.
California Legislative Information (Leginfo)

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/

Leginfo serves as an archive of California’s legislative information. This site is also a resource for daily updates on all Assembly and Senate bills moving through the legislation.