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11 -A -5 VLF from page 1 .............. • ... WEBSITE from page 1............ . The total value (100 %) of the VLF in 2002 -03 is estimated at $5.8 billion and in 2003 -04 at $6.2 billion. The backfill (67.5 %) is about $3.9 billion for FY 02 -03 and $4 billion for FY 03-04. (Before Davis' proposed cuts). The VLF backfill total is comprised of three main portions: ♦ 25% is dedicated to pay for a portion of the counties' cost under an earlier "realignment" — the shift of public health and social services require- ments to counties that occurred in the early 1990's. ♦ In addition, a small portion of the VLF backfill goes for "special allocations to cities and counties ", including some that is for no /low prop- erty tax cities as defined in the code, but most goes to the counties. ♦ The remainder is then split 50% to counties (divided among them by population) and 50% to cities (allocated by population with special factors for cities incorporated within the last 10 years). How Big Are the Hits to Cities and Counties? Both cities and counties will continue to re- ceive their "base" VLF — the fees that are not offset today (currently 32.5% of the total VLF fees as- sessed). In his budget proposal, Governor Davis did not discontinue the 25% portion of the total " backfill" that is dedicated to counties for the earlier "realign- ment." Yet, he's effectively discontinued payment to local governments of the remainder of the backfill. Cities statewide will get hit for $553 million (out of the total $1.3 billion reduction in the 02 -03 backfill) and $1.2 billion (of the total $2.9 billion reduction in the FY 03 -04 backfill). Counties are hit harder by the proposal, losing $700 million in FY 02 -03, and $1.7 billion in FY 03- 04. This week the League launched the results of this effort and these are the key features: Streamlined navigation focused on four key services areas the League provides. On the homepage (www.cacities.ora), instead of the previous 20 links, you'll now see links to Issues and Advocacy, News and Information, Educa- tion, Conferences and Networking and Prod- ucts and Services. Three of these links provide access to the League service areas whose website pages, while reorganized under new categories, are essentially unchanged. The fourth link (issues and Advocacy) represents a major reorganization of critical website information relating to legislative, legal and grassroots advo- cacy work. It includes: ♦ Issue pages (www.cacities.ora/ issuesandadvocacv), for each of the League's eight key issue areas, which consolidate legisla- tive, legal, and policy developments under each issue topic. Included too are links to the League's new online legislative monitoring service. For each issue area, website visitors can produce legislative reports on League - tracked legislation reflecting League priorities, supportloppose posi- tions, watched bills and hearing dates (calendared bills). Contact information for League lobbyists and analysts is provided, as are bill histories, texts and status, as well as sample letters, talking points, and other pertinent pieces of information on the legislation. ♦ Grassroots Advocacy pages (www.cacities.ora /arassrootsadvocacv) organized by regional division, with contact information for each division's grassroots regional representative, division activities, and tools to help city officials in their advocacy efforts. ♦ The new Advocacy Center ( www .cacities.ora /advocacvcenter). Site visitors can find and access their legislators; find sample letters or talking points that users can edit or personalize; and respond to their legislator online, by fax or print to League - prepared on -line alerts. We hope you find these changes helpful to you. Any feedback or comments should be ad- dressed to: Megan Taylor, taylorm @cacities.org. Visit the League's Official Web Site — www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS/PAGE 5