SECTIONS 56000-56001 - California Statutes

GOVERNMENT CODE

SECTION 56000-56001

56000. This division shall be known and may be cited as the
Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000.

56001. The Legislature finds and declares that it is the policy of
the state to encourage orderly growth and development which are
essential to the social, fiscal, and economic well-being of the
state. The Legislature recognizes that the logical formation and
determination of local agency boundaries is an important factor in
promoting orderly development and in balancing that development with
sometimes competing state interests of discouraging urban sprawl,
preserving open-space and prime agricultural lands, and efficiently
extending government services. The Legislature also recognizes that
providing housing for persons and families of all incomes is an
important factor in promoting orderly development. Therefore, the
Legislature further finds and declares that this policy should be
effected by the logical formation and modification of the boundaries
of local agencies, with a preference granted to accommodating
additional growth within, or through the expansion of, the boundaries
of those local agencies which can best accommodate and provide
necessary governmental services and housing for persons and families
of all incomes in the most efficient manner feasible.
The Legislature recognizes that urban population densities and
intensive residential, commercial, and industrial development
necessitate a broad spectrum and high level of community services and
controls. The Legislature also recognizes that when areas become
urbanized to the extent that they need the full range of community
services, priorities are required to be established regarding the
type and levels of services that the residents of an urban community
need and desire; that community service priorities be established by
weighing the total community service needs against the total
financial resources available for securing community services; and
that those community service priorities are required to reflect local
circumstances, conditions, and limited financial resources. The
Legislature finds and declares that a single multipurpose
governmental agency is accountable for community service needs and
financial resources and, therefore, may be the best mechanism for
establishing community service priorities especially in urban areas.
Nonetheless, the Legislature recognizes the critical role of many
limited purpose agencies, especially in rural communities. The
Legislature also finds that, whether governmental services are
proposed to be provided by a single-purpose agency, several agencies,
or a multipurpose agency, responsibility should be given to the
agency or agencies that can best provide government services.