Group Leaving California Due to Conservative-Led City Councils

According to Politico, five city councils in Southern California have decided to withdraw from the League of California Cities, or CalCities, an organization that represents the interests of state municipalities. The city councils of Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Orange, and Yorba Linda have all recently voted to leave CalCities, a group that has been advocating for California cities for over 125 years and has a membership that includes most of the state’s 482 cities.

Some of the city councils cited disagreements with CalCities’ decisions, such as aligning with Democrats to oppose a tax reform proposal by business groups and supporting Gov. Gavin Newsom on Proposition 1, which addressed the state’s approach to mental health, addiction, and homelessness issues.

For example, Huntington Beach Councilman Tony Strickland expressed dissatisfaction with CalCities’ support of Prop. 1, stating that their role should be to represent local governments, not the governor. In addition, the city of Orange highlighted the high membership costs, which amount to approximately $34,000 per year based on population size.

Councilmember Kathy Tavoularis of Orange mentioned feeling that the city had little influence within CalCities, particularly in relation to Prop. 1. Yorba Linda Mayor Pro Tem Beth Haney described the decision to leave CalCities as a message to the group and other disappointed cities.

Carolyn Coleman, the executive director and CEO of CalCities, expressed disappointment in response to the cities’ decisions, emphasizing the importance of unity in advocacy efforts for all California cities. She explained that while not everyone may agree with CalCities’ positions, they are the result of a member-driven process aimed at promoting the collective interests of all cities in the state.