February 28, 2019

Representatives from 35 California counties, as well as CSAC officers and legislative staff are on their way to Washington D.C. this week to attend the 2019 National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference.

CSAC officers will be covering a number of issues while focusing on three major priorities during their time in the nation’s Capital: homelessness, infrastructure and emergency resiliency.

Homelessness impacts all 58 counties in California- — rural, suburban and urban, northern and southern, inland and coastal – and affects individuals and families of every background. CSAC officers and California county representatives will request that the maximum level of funding for Homeless Assistance Grants and other key federal assistance programs be provided to help reduce and eliminate homelessness in California. Additionally, they will be encouraging support for legislation sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and House Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) that would authorize new federal investments for homes assistance programs at the local level.

In the area of infrastructure, CSAC officers and staff will ask Congress to prioritize funding for key local infrastructure assets, including roads and bridges, as part of any large-scale public works package. The team will work for increased core federal assistance through already authorized programs, as well as request direct federal funding to local governments for the maintenance of preservation of the current transportation system.

Another key priority CSAC officers and staff will raise on the national level is resiliency and disaster recovery. The California County delegation will ask Congress to prioritize funding for both pre-and post- disaster mitigation programs, as well as support legislative proposals that would improve community resilience and support local emergency management needs. Finally, the team will encourage the administration to continue to work closely with local governments to develop effective tools that help reduce the risk of wildfires and other disasters, enhance resilience and increase the efficiency of disaster response.

“We’re bringing the full weight of the CSAC officer team to Washington D.C. along with an impressive cohort of California county representatives to underscore the critical importance of these key priorities,” said Graham Knaus, Executive Director of CSAC. “This important conference and advocacy opportunity is essential to protecting California’s counties and ensuring they continue to have the resources, authority and flexibility to meet the unique priorities of their communities.”

In addition to lobbying for these priority areas, conference participants will have plenty of opportunities for networking, keynote presentations and policy committee hearings on topics ranging from Agriculture to Veterans Affairs and a host of issues in between.

Be sure to stay tuned to CSAC social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for real time updates our officers, staff and other California County representatives attending the 2019 NACo Legislative Conference.