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A NEW LEAGUE ON -LINE COURSE FOR FISCAL OFFICERS, MANAGERS Visit the LeaguE- Campus and register online for "The Bc3 ;.s of Municipal Finance - Guardians of the Public G'%- kbook ". This course is the first in a planned series, and is recommended for elected officials who want to discover more about manag- ing their city's finances. The course is based on Local Government Dollars & Sense: 225 Financial Tips for Guarding the Public Checkbook and Little Budget Book, (both) by Len Wood. You will discover how the League and its members can take charge of their fiscal future, learn how to sustain high level perfor- mance in your organization, and observe a forecast of the State's and Nation's Economy. The course outline can serve as a guide to city officials and may be helpful if city officials propose questions after having taken the course. Fiscal officers and city managers may find it worthwhile to have a number of officials in their city take this course. If you would like to register multiple participants for this course or another course and receive a savings, please visit the LeaguE- Campus at www.caaties.orq /ed. ............. In fact, it would be highly irresponsible and damaging to the public safety and well being of our citizens. "The failure of the legislature to pass VLF offset legislation immediately will be devastating to cities and counties, resulting in a loss, begin- ning December 10, of over $300 million per month in funds for public safety and other vital services." The League's letters also referred to budget - slashing scenarios reported by numerous cities. Examples: City of Pacifica: "If the VLF is cut, the Mayor should give the keys for city hall to the Gover- nor... the only thing left to cut is police and fire." City of Highland: "...we will have to make a substantial reduction in law enforcement and other critical services if the VLF is not back filled." City of Hemet "...(a 72 %) loss of (General Fund) funding would result in substantial restruc- turing of our police and fire departments, includ- ing reduction in the number of officers." VLF from page 1 in the letter to the Governor, League Presi- dent and Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge said, Throughout your campaign you promised to fund the VLF offset and to keep local services from being cut as a result of the reduction of the VLF I commend you for that commitment, and I write respectfully today to ask your imme- diate and concerted leadership to ensure the Legislature does not go home without passing one of the bills currently pending that would Keep that commitment. We understand your focus on the eco- nomic recovery package, but it will do the state little good to get its own finances in order if it leaves those of cities and counties in disarray. City of Salinas: "...(the VLF backfill) equates to a reduction of 60 police officer posi- tions (or 30 police officer positions and 30 fire fighter positions)." "The Governor did the right thing in calling for a special session to keep local services funded ", said League Executive Director Chris McKenzie. Now we're calling on both the Governor and legislators to keep the promise the state made to local government, by immediately passing a backfill appropriation." Visit the League's website to view copies of the letters and more information about possible city service cuts. PAGE 4 /PRIORITY FOCUS Visit the League's Official Web Site-- www.cacities.org