An Update on AB 3 and the Plight of Isla Vista
What if unincorporated communities could get more local control without having to incorporate? Assembly Bill 3 (AB 3), working its way through the California Assembly, would give Isla Vista, an unincorporated community next to the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) campus, an enhanced version of a community service district (CSD), …
“Virtual City” Proposal for Isla Vista Possible Solution for Castro Valley
Recently introduced California State Assembly Bill 3 (AB 3) could fundamentally change the way unincorporated Isla Vista governs itself and provide a road map for other unincorporated communities to gain more local control. I’ve been studying many different ways that unincorporated communities could govern themselves, and the Eden Area Liveability Initiative (EALI) has …
California, (un)Incorporated: Our communities need democracy, path to incorporation
I am a resident of Castro Valley, an urbanized, unincorporated community of about 63,000 in Alameda County in the east San Francisco Bay Area. I’ve been working with fellow Californians statewide in unincorporated communities that would like the option of becoming cities, including Salida, Arden Arcade, Mountain House, East Los …
Overwhelming support for elected MAC at town hall, but what next?
Over 200 people crowded into the Canyon Middle School cafeteria last Monday for an elected Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) town hall. The audience heard from county staff about different scenarios on how to convert the MAC to an elected body and from opponents and proponents of the proposal. The audience also spent …
Olympic Valley incorporation effort halted
Proponents for a “Town of Olympic Valley” in the Squaw Valley area of Placer County withdrew their petition for municipal incorporation last week, citing “hostility” to their proposal. Teton Gravity Research, a company that produces ski, snowboard, and surf films and blogs about the ski industry, traced the start of the Olympic Valley incorporation …
Finding Better Governance for Castro Valley and the Eden Area
Back in 2012, I thought all I wanted was an elected Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), Castro Valley’s version of a city council, for 63,000 people whose community remains unincorporated. State law says that MACs can be elected. Why couldn’t mine be elected? My naive question, first to Supervisor Nate Miley, then to …
Cityhood Lost: California keeps Castro Valley unincorporated, new cities struggling
Back in 2012, as I passionately argued for an incorporated Castro Valley before a packed audience at the “Great Castro Valley Debate,” I had to concede that despite my dream for Castro Valley home rule, achieving municipal independence for our community was unlikely…all because of something called the “Vehicle License Fee …