Welcome to calafco.org

Paul Hood, Executive Officer William Chiat, Executive Director

The California Association of
Local Agency Formation Commissions

To encourage the orderly growth
of government agencies

To preserve agricultural lands

To discourage urban sprawl

To assure efficient local government services

The California Association of LAFCos - CALAFCO - was founded in 1971. CALAFCO serves as an organization dedicated to assisting member LAFCos with educational and technical resources that otherwise would not be available. The Association provides statewide coordination of LAFCo activities, serves as a resource to the Legislature and other bodies, and offers a structure for sharing information among the various LAFCos and other governmental agencies.

The membership of CALAFCO consists of 57 of the 58 LAFCos in California, along with an associate membership of firms and agencies which support the educational mission of the organization.

Features

CALAFCO Has Moved!	Effective 1 December 2008 the CALAFCO office moved to 1215 K Street in downtown Sacramento. Telephone and fax numbers remain the same. Our new address is: California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions 1215 K Street, Suite 1650 Sacramento, CA 95814 Printable Address Change Map of Office, Parking and Hotel Locations

CALAFCO University	2009 CALAFCO University Course Schedule 16 January - Using Access to Get Your LAFCo Organized (Sacramento) 12 March - SB 375 and LAFCo (Los Angeles) 27 March - SB 375 and LAFCo (San Jose) 5 June - Fire District Consolidations (Southern Cal) 24 August - Developer and Annexation Agreements (Northern Cal) 6 November - Local Government Finance (Southern Cal) Watch this spot for course and registration information. For information on CALAFCO University, to participate as faculty or to suggest future courses, please contact CALAFCO Deputy Executive Officer Joyce Crosthwaite.

2009 Staff Workshop	Make plans now to attend the CALAFCO Staff Workshop in beautiful Pismo Beach! Mark your calendars for 29 April to 1 May. Click below for preliminary workshop information and hotel reservations: Save the Date Information Preliminary Workshop Program On-Line Hotel Reservations at the Cliffs Resort

The Sphere Current Issue of the CALAFCO Journal	The September 2008 edition is now available. This issue features the 2008 report to members, a summary of 2008 legislation and several case studies of LAFCo actions. A case study of the San Bernardino County fire district consolidation is highlighted. Read all about it in the September 2008 issue of The Sphere. LEGAL CORNER: Court Decisions and Attorney General Opinions Related to LAFCo

Special Districts Resource Page	Visit the updated Special District Resources Web Page for: 1) key reference materials on special districts and LAFCo's role with districts; 2) model documents for independent special districts that want to be seated on their LAFCo; and 3) links to handy special district websites.
Announcements

Request for Proposals	The LAFCo of Santa Clara County is accepting proposals for providing general legal counsel services to Santa Clara LAFCo. The selected contractor will serve at the discretion of the Commission and work under the direction of the Commission’s Executive Officer. Proposals are due by Friday, January 9, 2009 at 5 pm, no faxes. For a copy of the RFP, please click: Santa Clara LAFCo Legal Counsel RFP. NEW (9 Dec 08): Additional information on this RFP is now available at: Santa Clara LAFCo Legal Counsel Additional Info.

2008 CALAFCO Awards	Congratulations to the 2008 CALAFCO Achievement Award winners! The awards were presented at the Awards Dinner and Gala on Thursday, 4 September 2008 in Universal City. 2008 Achievement Award Recipients Previous CALAFCO Award Recipients (1997-2007)

2009 Calendar	The 2009 CALAFCO Calendar of Events includes the dates of association meetings as well as major conference dates of peer organizations. Mark your calendars for: ♦ CALAFCO Staff Workshop: 29 April-1 May 2009 (Pismo Beach) ♦ CALAFCO Annual Conference: 28 - 30 October 2009 (Tenaya Lodge - Yosemite)

Associate Membership	Associate membership provides businesses, agencies, and associations with access to CALAFCO resources and support the educational mission of CALAFCO and the goals and work of LAFCos. Become an Associate Member. Associate Member Services Directory A matrix of Associate Member services and easy links to websites and contacts. Updated-August 08

Search the Internet and Support CALAFCO!	GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine, with a unique social mission... every time you use GoodSearch, money is generated for not-for-profit organizations. *CALAFCO is an approved GoodSearch recipient!* It's simple. Use GoodSearch like any other search engine — the site is powered by Yahoo! — but each time you do, money is generated for CALAFCO. Just go to www.goodsearch.com and enter California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions as the 'charity' you want to support. Even better, download the GoodSearch toolbar on your home page. The more you search, the more we earn!
Quick Guide to LAFCo

LAFCo State Law	The Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCo) in each county are governed by and are responsible for implementation of the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000. Guide to the C-K-H Local Government Reorganization Act - 2008 update (pdf) For more details on LAFCo law and legal opinions, visit the Resources Page. Need to research LAFCo law? Search the Legislative Counsel's website.

LAFCo Directory	Click here for a listing, contact information and link to the Local Agency Formation Commission in each county: LAFCo Directory

LAFCo History	Visit the About Page for more information on the history of LAFCo in California.