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1143 <br />ELECTED CITY OFFICIALS URGED TO <br />PARTICIPATE IN "STRENGTHENING <br />FAMILIES" SURVEY <br />The National League of Cities (NLC) is urging <br />elected city officials who have not yet done so to <br />complete an NLC survey focused on ways that cities <br />can help to strengthen families and improve the lives <br />of children. The first part of a Strengthening Families <br />survey was mailed by NLC a few months ago to cities <br />across America. The survey seeks to gauge the <br />perceptions of elected officials about the conditions <br />and needs of families and children, and to identify <br />ways that cities can help. <br />MAYORS from page 1 .............. <br />Mayor Hahn's concerns were echoed by each of <br />the mayors: San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, Long <br />Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill; Oakland Mayor Jerry <br />Brown; Santa Ana Miguel Pulido; and Sacramento <br />Mayor Heather Fargo. Mayor O'Neill spoke of <br />accelerated layoffs to public safety and other Long <br />Beach city departments that would result if VLF <br />funds were cut off. <br />Mayor Fargo spoke out strongly against cuts to <br />redevelopment agencies, calling them "an unfair <br />policy that is anti -city and anti- downtown." <br />The survey itself, and a list of cities that have not <br />yet responded to the survey, are available on the <br />NLC's website at www.nic.org. To ensure a represen- <br />tative sample in the survey, NLC needs to receive <br />the requested information by February 14, 2003. <br />If you have any questions about the survey, <br />please contact Christopher Hoene, NLC Research <br />Manager, at (202) 626 -3172, hoene@nlc.org, or <br />Cheryl Katz of Baldassare and Associates, (510) <br />701 -5758, ckatz @baldassareassoc. <br />LOCAL from page 1 ............... . <br />Copies continue to pour into the League, and <br />to the LOCAL offices at Bicker, Castillo and <br />Fairbanks. While numbers change daily, the latest <br />count for all LOCAL partners is about 70 resolu- <br />tions and about 200 letters. The consultants have <br />been routinely delivering packets of the letters and <br />resolutions to legislators, and finding that the <br />sheer bulk of the package is impressive. <br />On Friday, February 6, the sheriffs, police, fire <br />and other public safety officers are scheduled to <br />participate in another press conference in Sacra- <br />mento, continuing the effort of stressing the ex- <br />treme risk to public safety services if the legislature <br />does not act to restore the VLF. <br />The importance of the coalition approach on <br />VLF, redevelopment and other proposals affecting <br />local services is clearly seen in the response of the <br />legislature to the VLF. City officials are urged to <br />continue to work through their League re- <br />gional representatives to make sure that their <br />advocacy efforts are coordinated with LOCAL <br />partners. <br />Los Angeles City Council President Alex Padilla <br />also joined the mayors at the press conference. In <br />his comments he emphasized the need for local <br />government representatives to be at the table with <br />the state to solve the state's fiscal problems. <br />Mayor O'Neill is the League's Immediate Past <br />President, and a member of the League Board of <br />Directors. Mayor Fargo and Council President <br />Padilla are also on the League Board. <br />The mayors stressed these same points in later <br />meetings with Governor Gray Davis, Assembly <br />Speaker Herb Wesson, President of the Senate Pro <br />Tempore John Burton, Chairman of the Senate <br />Budget Committee Wesley Chesbro, and State <br />Department of Finance Director Steve Peace. They <br />were joined in their meetings by San Diego Mayor <br />Dick Murphy. <br />The Governor held a press briefing later in the <br />day. Referring both to the passage January 28 of <br />the VLF "trigger" bill, AB 4X (Wesson), and to the <br />rejection of current budget year VLF cuts by both <br />the Senate and Assembly budget committees the <br />previous week, the Governor reportedly all but <br />conceded that the legislature was not likely to <br />approve his proposal to eliminate VLF backfill <br />payments, given the strength of local government <br />objections to this approach. <br />California city officials, however, understand <br />clearly that all local revenues continue to be at risk <br />this year until a final budget package is completed. <br />Cities and the LOCAL coalition partners are <br />urged to Stay The Course <br />Visit the League's Official Web Site " "www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUSIPAGE 3 <br />