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_4A LEAGUE'S 2004 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE NOW AVAILABLE How can city officials acquire new skills, learn about the latest developments in their professional fields, find out about legislative issues that impact their cities, and exchange innovative ideas on enhanced service opportunities? By attending a League professional confer- ence. The League is committed to providing quality educational programs, professional devel- opment and training for city officials and staff. Visit the League's website for a complete schedule of upcoming conferences and events. You can view the current program or outline, and use this information to help plan your meeting . schedule and budget expenses for the upcoming year. You can even register online. You can also visit the LeaguE- Campus to take advantage of the online courses that are specifi- cally designed to provide our members with the quality programs and information they seek anytime, anywhere. Visit www.cacities.org /ed to view the current classes. 2004 Professional Development Conferences • Employee Relations Institute: January 22 & 29 • Leadership Team Workshop: January 28 -30 • City Managers Department Meeting: Feb. 4 -6 • Public Works Officers Institute: March 3 -5 • Planners Institute: March 31 -April 2 • Mayors & Council Members Basic Academy: April 28 -May 1 • City Attorneys Spring Conference: May 5 -7 • Legislative Action Days: May 12 -13 • Leadership Team Workshop: May 19 -21 • Mayors & Council Members Executive Forum: July 28 -30 • Mayors & Council Members Academy Work- shops: July 30 -31 • Annual Conference: September 17 -19 • Financial Management Seminar: December 1 -3 • Fire Chiefs Seminar: December 1 -3 City Clerks New Law & Election Seminar: De- cember 8 -10 PAGE 4 /PRIORITY FOCUS LEAGUE BOARD MEMBERS PUBLISH VIEWS ON LEAGUE BALLOT INITIATIVE On November 2, two days after the Local Taxpay- ers ani Public Safety Protection Act was filed with the Attorney General, the Orange County Register ran an opinion editorial supporting the measure by League Board members Bev Perry (Mayor, City of Brea) and Ron Bates (Council Member, City of Los Alamitos). Entitled "Cities Give, State Takes Away: Let's Change That ", the piece said in part: Is it really a radical idea to let California voters decide whether their local tax dollars should stay at home or be used to finance the growth of state govern- ment? We don't think so. That is why we are joining a growing number of local elected officials across our state who think the time has come to let the voters decide this important issue... During the past decade, the state has taken more than $30 billion in local property taxes from counties, cities and special districts to meet its obligation to fund schools. Diverting the funds allows the state to keep spending on other necessary things. But even in the budget surplus years of the late 1990s, the state was still taking local property tax dollars to increase the size of state government. That growth came at the expense of local government budgets for police, fire, emergency medical services, parks, libraries, street maintenance and other community services. when the state Legislature this past year had to choose between trimming state services or paying cities and counties the funds that were owed them from the vehicle license fee reduction, legislators told us to wait three years for the promised payment. And, for the second year in a row, Sacramento again "deferred" constitutionally required reimbursements for unfunded state mandates. We need protection now more than ever as politicians in Sacramento discuss getting rid of the vehicle fee funds or the 'backfill, "another source of money that's required to keep local governments' budgets whole..... Rescinding the recent vehicle fee increase without providing local governments with another source of revenue will force local service cuts and reductions that will have a direct impact on every resident of this state and our state's economic health. Continued on Page 7 Visit the League's Official Web Site-- www.cacities.org