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8A-13 CALIFORNIA PERFORMANCE REVIEW REPORT RELEASm Last week, the long anticipated California Perfor- submitting the plan to the legislature. The LitUe mance Review (CPR) report was released for public Hoover Commission must conduct at least one public review. Over 2500 pages long, the report is the result hearing on the plan and then makes a recommenda- of an extensive process initiated by the governor Ie tion Ie the governor and legislature as Ie whether it scrutinize California govemment and propose steps believes the plan should go into effect. to improve service, reduce overtap, and save the state money. Or, as the governor has stated, it is a The plan. or plans, are then submitted Ie the way of Kblowing up the boxes· of state government. legislature. Unless one house of the legislature votes to reject the plan, it goes into effect on the sixty-first In late June, the govemor announced the names day after it has been submitted. Interestingly, the of twenty-one individuals to serve as members of the legislature may only vote the plan up or down, and CPR Commission. The commission will facilitate the may not change it. Actual legislation to implement the public input process. Two city officials serve on the reorganization is processed in the following year, commission: Beverty O'Neill, Mayor of Long Beach although the reorganization goes inle effect even and former President of the League; and Pat Dando, without the implementing legislation being on the Vice Mayor of San Jose and League board member. books. This can be a difficult process, since often it is The CPR Commission has scheduled a series of the implementing legislation that provides the sub- public workshops around the state through Septem- stance and working details of a proposed reorganiza- ber 24 to receive input. They will also accept written tion. comments. (See KCalifomia Performance 'Review Hearings".) Extensive Review Will Awalt More Detail Report Just First of Many Steps In Reorganiza- The League is currently reviewing the entire CPR tion report to identify those recommendations that impact The release of the CPR report and the public cities, including those for which we have existing workshops are only the first step in a lengthy process policy. When that review is complete, the League will that may result in governmental reorganization - or in submit written comments to the CPR Commission and blowing up various boxes. While the CPR report staff. In many instances, it will be difficult to comment includes a myriad of recommendations, it is unknown on a recommendation because it is general in nature at this time which ones the governor actually will and does not indude implementation details. As the embrace. Of those he does embrace, some he may CPR and reorganization process unfolds and the be able to implement by Executive Order; others will governor indicates which of the recommendations he require legislation to acromplish. wishes to pursue, the League will continue its review and analysis, incorporating input from League policy It is unclear whether the govemor will submit one committees and ad hoc task forces as necessary and reorganization plan that covers the entire range of appropriate. Of course, individual cities are encour- state agencies and issues covered in the CPR report aged to submit their own comments and/or participate - that is, one plan that covers every proposal, from in the public workshops. education to environment Ie transportation and Cities wishing rnore information about the CPR criminal justice - or whether he will submit a series of individual plans that cover individual agencies and report should visit its website at httD://cpr.ca.aov/. topics. The website indudes links to the report itself, Fre- quently Asked Questions, information about the public And, it gets even more complicated. The Califor- workshops, and a procedure to receive email notifica- nia Constitution and statutes grant the governor the tions about the CPR. Another useful resource is the authority to reorganize state government whenever it Little Hoover Commission's paper on the Governor's is in the public interest The law requires the gover- Reorganization Process. The link is: www.lhc.ca.aov/. nor to submit any reorganization plan to the state's Little Hoover Commission at least thirty days prior to Visit the League's Official Web Siteuwww.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS/PAGE 3 " - _. - .. _. T"' ,. ..... -