|
2026 Resolution Packet
<br />1.A RESOLUTION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES
<br />CALLING FOR A WORKING GROUP TO CONSIDER A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL
<br />AMENDMENT OR OTHER FORM OF INITIATIVE TO ENSURE FINAL LOCAL AUTHORITY OVER
<br />HOUSING AND LAND USE DECISIONS
<br />Source: City of Murrieta
<br />Concurrence of five or more cities/city officials
<br />Cities/city officials: City of Banning; City of Calimesa; City of Canyon Lake; City of Moreno
<br />Valley; City of Norco; City of Torrance; Crystal Ruiz, Mayor, City of San Jacinto; Jessica
<br />Alexander, Mayor, City of Temecula
<br />Referred to: Housing, Community, and Economic Development Policy Committee
<br />WHEREAS, California cities have historically been responsible for adopting general
<br />plans and zoning regulations, reviewing housing development proposals, and providing or
<br />coordinating the streets, water, wastewater, public safety, parks, transportation, and other
<br />infrastructure and services necessary to support responsible, environmentally sound, and
<br />well-planned residential growth; and
<br />WHEREAS, the League of California Cities is dedicated to protecting and expanding
<br />local control for municipalities across the state to ensure their orderly growth and
<br />development; and
<br />WHEREAS, the League of California Cities recognizes that local zoning is a primary
<br />function of cities and an essential component of home rule, and that a city’s general plan
<br />should guide its land use planning and strategic decision-making free from pre-emption by
<br />the state; and
<br />WHEREAS, increasingly prescriptive statewide housing mandates and development
<br />approval requirements can override locally adopted plans, zoning standards, and public
<br />review procedures without adequately accounting for differences that exist in each
<br />unique jurisdiction in infrastructure capacity, water availability, wildfire and evacuation
<br />risks, environmental constraints, fiscal impacts, public service needs, and community
<br />priorities; and
<br />WHEREAS, California’s housing goals can be more effectively advanced through
<br />state funding, streamlined environmental requirements, and voluntary partnerships that
<br />support housing production while preserving the authority of locally elected officials to
<br />determine how and where housing is best planned and approved;
<br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the General Assembly of the League of
<br />California Cities, assembled during the Annual Conference in Anaheim, California, on
<br />September 25, 2026, that the League of California Cities support the development and
<br />advancement of a state constitutional amendment or other legislative, policy, or ballot-
<br />based strategies that restore and strengthen local authority over housing and land use
<br />matters within municipal boundaries, including general plans, housing elements, zoning,
<br />density, design and development standards, project siting, and the approval or denial of
<br />housing development applications; and
<br />6
<br />Page 296 of 318
|