California City called 'golden child' of Kern
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Friday, December
26, 2003.
By ALLISON GATLIN
Valley Press Staff Writer
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CALIFORNIA CITY - California City's civic leaders and institutions
recently received a glowing review by the Kern County grand jury, calling
the city a "golden child" of the county.
The review found the California City government "has proven to be a
progressive and efficient local government, which has strong community
support."
The annual review is based on a September visit by the Cities and Joint Powers Committee of the 2003-2004 Kern County Grand Jury, in which members met with the city manager and staff, and reviewed current and past city budgets, City Council agendas, and previous reports, among other documents.
"I hope it amounts to a body of evidence that indicates to people that we are trying to do the best for them," Mayor Larry Adams said.
The committee cited city progress in building a long-awaited high school and new elementary school, as well as the positive economic impact of the California City Correctional Center, now in its third year, and the upcoming Hyundai Motor Corp. test track.
The report also praised the city for its aggressive pursuit of grants to fund various projects, resulting in a 75% success rate in grant approvals.
"Each year we get a little bit better (in the review)," City Manager Jack Stewart said. "The last five years has made major improvements in the city and where we are going. The city has done a 180-degree turn to where it was in the mid-'90s."
California City's successes come despite a prevalent feeling of being a "lost relative" in the far-flung county system, the review found.
The city, 67 miles from the county seat at Bakersfield, has virtually no county government presence. The only county facility is a branch of the library system, which must receive city support to remain open.
The report recommended that the city form an ongoing committee of council members, city staff, business leaders and residents to work toward bringing more county services to California City.
"That's been an issue for a long time," Adams said.
The council will take steps to form such a committee sometime early next year, he said.
Among the county services on the city's "wish list" are a county roads maintenance yard; health and human services such as women's shelters, child protective services, and an office on aging and mature adult services; planning and permit services; educational services; a district attorney's branch office; election services; and local service for property tax collection, deeds, recording services and property records access.
The overwhelmingly positive report may help boost efforts to extend a special tax on the March ballot.
Because the city has too small a tax base to fully fund its operations, a special tax has been used to support functions such as the police and fire departments, street repair, parks and recreation and sewer improvements. A Citizens Advisory Committee oversees how the special tax funds are distributed among the departments.
The current tax, at $75 per parcel, expires in June 2004. Voters will decide in March whether to extend the special tax another five years at $85 per parcel.
The grand jury's positive findings can be attributed to improvements made thanks to nearly six years of the special tax, approved by city voters in two previous elections, Adams said.
"The citizens of the community need to congratulate themselves," he said. "That's been what's changed everything."
Revenue collected from the special tax has allowed the city to fund such projects as street repairs and to pursue such economic development as a federal prison facility and business enterprises such as Rite Aid.
As successful as the tax has been in the past, there remains work to be done, Adams said.
"We need to continue the process," he said. "We need hotel services, we need a supermarket, we need health care in the biggest way," he added.
Copies of the grand jury report may be found on the county's Web site
at www.co.kern.ca.us/grandjury.
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