SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: May 11, 2026
Subject: RECOMMEND County membership in the Local Government Climate Alliance to the Legislative Committee and the Board of Supervisors
Submitted For: John Kopchik || Director | DCD
Department: DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT
Presenter: Jody London || Sustainability Coordinator | DCD
Contact: Jody London | (925) 655-2896
Referral History:
Local governments lack a voice in Sacramento to advocate for the nuanced and often technical climate solutions that are needed to reach local climate goals and keep communities safe. The County’s Sacramento lobbyists are good, and responsive when we identify priorities. However, they do not focus on climate issues and are tracking a range of issues for the County.
The Local Government Climate Alliance (LGCA) is a new group that unites California cities and counties to advocate for bold, equitable climate policies at the state legislature. The LGCA leverages joint advocacy, knowledge-sharing, and collective influence to accelerate action that delivers benefits to local communities across California. Initial members of LGCA include the City & County of San Francisco, cities of Santa Monica, Cupertino, Santa Cruz, Mountain View, Santa Barbara, and the counties of San Mateo and Monterey, with over two dozen additional local governments currently evaluating membership.
Referral Update:
There are multiple reasons why membership in the LGCA would be valuable:
• The Sustainability Committee asks staff to track and report on legislation relevant to implementation of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). At any given time, there are dozens of bills under consideration. It would be valuable to have access to a group like LGCA who tracks this in detail.
• The ongoing discussions at the state level about energy affordability are leading to some proposals that could compromise or threaten funding for the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN), a key vehicle for providing energy efficiency services and programs to County residents and businesses.
• Acting collectively is more effective and less resource-intensive than each jurisdiction advocating independently. By coordinating across cities and counties, the Alliance amplifies local government voices and focuses advocacy where it can have the greatest impact on costs and outcomes.
• The LGCA’s focus on the Legislature is unique and not provided by other groups in which we participate.
Interaction with Lobbyist
The LGCA would not replace County lobbyists. Rather, it would provide complementary and targeted advocacy on climate and energy priorities. Sustainability staff have discussed potential membership in the LGCA with the legislative liaison in the County Administrator’s Office and with Nielsen-Merksamer, the County’s lobbyists. They inform us that groups like LGCA can be very useful in helping them focus on key issues and bills. Other County departments maintain memberships in similar organizations.
Decision Making
LGCA is a consensus-based organization. If any member jurisdiction does not agree with a policy decision, LGCA will not formally take a position on the relevant item. In situations where consensus isn’t possible, the organization will support cohorts of interested parties in writing letters but will not lobby on behalf of the entirety of the LGCA membership.
Fiscal Impact
LGCA is a dues-based organization. Core member dues for cities or counties with a population of 150,001 - 500,000 are $6,500. We can ask for a reduced fee if needed. Staff recommend requesting dues of $2,500. For FY25-26 the City of Santa Barbara provided advanced payment for the expenses of lobbying, with other jurisdictions reimbursing Santa Barbara for their share and/or covering other costs and/or providing in-kind support. LGCA is expected to be directly funded by local government jurisdictions in perpetuity, with the potential for aligned entities (i.e., councils of governments, community choice aggregators) and philanthropic partners to contribute as the organization formalizes.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
RECOMMEND County membership in the Local Government Climate Alliance to the Legislative Committee and the Board of Supervisors.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
Dues of $2,500 would be paid from General Fund sources that support the Sustainability Team.