2020 Wes McClure Scholarship Application Period Open

Posted by Saara Lampwalla on April 8, 2020

From CCMF

The application period for the 2 020 Wes McClure Scholarship is open. Submissions must be completed by end-of-day on Sunday, May 10, 2020.

Download a one-page flyer to share with your students/networks/peers/schools

CCMF is offering five (5) scholarships in the amount of $1,500 to graduate students attending a public or private university or college in California who are interested in pursuing a career in (or already are working in) local government. Wes McClure, for whom the scholarship was named, worked as City Manager of San Leandro for 28 years. He passed away at the age of 94 on December 20, 2009. This award was created in honor of Wes’s outstanding and significant contributions to the City Manager’s Department, League of California Cities, the State of California, and the City Management profession.

If you know of eligible applicants, please direct them to the Wes McClure Scholarship page on this website to learn more about the Scholarship and how to apply.

Applications must be submitted by Sunday, May 10, 2020 and include a cover letter, a short essay, and two reference letters in order to be considered for a scholarship. All submission materials must be sent electronically to:

Fran Mancia
scholarship@cacitymanagers.org
Subject Line: “2020 Wes McClure Scholarship Application”

“No One-Size Fits All” as State Leaders Discuss Cannabis in California

Posted by Melanie James on September 28, 2017

Banking, taxes and marijuana were the topics of discussion as municipal and industry leaders gathered September 15 to talk about local impacts of the cannabis industry during the League of California Cities’ Annual Conference in Sacramento.

Fran Mancia, MuniServices’ vice president of government relations, along with California Board of Equalization Member Fiona Ma, CPA, and Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association, spoke to more than 120 people on how the State is working with the cannabis and financial services industries to bring conformity and consistency into the complex, and now legal, cannabis industry in California.

During the discussion, Board Member Ma detailed the difficulty cities have in auditing dispensaries, noting banks, credit unions and accountants will not work with the cannabis industry because of the drug’s status as a Schedule 1 narcotic. “They do not want to inadvertently find themselves being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department,” she said.

“The handling of cash seems to be one of the biggest concerns we see,” said Mancia, whose firm works with cities and counties to develop and implement cannabis ordinances. “The lack of banking and professional accounting has caused a lot of issues for the cannabis industry. Some dispensaries are still using pencil and paper to do their bookkeeping, and often keep tens of thousands of dollars in cash on hand because they have no business bank account.”

In addition to banking, the panel also raised the issues cities are having in determining what to allow and how much to tax and charge industry businesses.

“Cities need to develop ordinances and policies that are good for them,” said Mancia. “There is no one-size-fits-all. Every jurisdiction has to tailor their ordinances and determine how they want to tax and charge the industry.”

While fees and taxes are critically important in paying for industry enforcement and generating needed revenue for local municipalities, panelists reminded attendees not to overtax or over-burden the industry.

“Business license taxes have worked well. Gross receipts are another good way, but they do fluctuate,” said Mancia. “On the growth and manufacturing side, you could charge a tax for square feet of space, but be careful how much you tax. It’s very easy to tax businesses into the underground economy.”

“A 25-30 percent effective tax rate is the rate at which we see the industry start to be pushed back into the underground,” said Allen, whose association represents growers and independent businesses within California’s cannabis industry. “The State starts at a 22 percent rate, so cities do not have much wiggle room for what they can do before pushing the market back underground. We like the square-foot license and tax model, but cities could also look at the expected production of the business and tax them based on output.”

As Proposition 64’s January 1, 2018, deadline fast approaches, many cities are still struggling to develop enforceable ordinances to regulate the recreational cannabis industry. Since November 2016, some cities have proactively worked with their cannabis industry to curtail foreseeable issues. MuniServices has worked extensively with Cathedral City to help cannabis manufacturers, transporters and retailers comply with tax levies and municipal codes by helping them prepare for audits.

“In Cathedral City, we are showing dispensaries what we look for when we audit them and how to properly record and manage their inventory and sales so they do not run into issues,” said Mancia. “The goal is to make enforcement of the industry as easy and streamlined as possible so that our clients can dedicate their resources to enforcing bigger issues.”

“The starting point for regulation is getting to know each other. Build bridges and find common ground to create real policies to move forward,” said Allen.

MuniServices is a leading provider of revenue enhancement and recovery for local municipalities. With over 900 cities, counties, special districts, and states as clients, MuniServices is the only firm in California and throughout the United States to offer proprietary revenue recovery, audit and administration services encompassing all general sources of municipal tax revenue. Learn more at muniservices.com.

MuniServices Experts Appointed to League of California Cities Committees

Posted by Melanie James on February 17, 2017

The League of California Cities has tapped the expertise of two leaders on the MuniServices team to provide insights to the State of California’s largest association of cities. Fran Mancia, vice president of government relations for MuniServices, was appointed to the League of California Cities’ Revenue and Taxation Policy Committee, while Brenda Narayan, director of government relations, was appointed to the League’s Governance, Transparency and Labor Relations Policy Committee.

Each year, the Revenue and Taxation Policy Committee reviews state policies that could impact the ways cities create and manage revenue. In its role, the Committee reviews existing League positions, adopted annual conference resolutions, and uses the collective knowledge and experience of Committee members to make preliminary positions on legislation. These recommendations are then given to the League’s Board of Directors for official approval.

“I have spent my career working diligently to protect local revenue,” says Mancia. “But beyond dollars and cents, I have seen where my work has helped pave roads, uplift blighted neighborhoods, and put more police officers on the street. These are the things our communities care about. These are the things I’m working to protect.”

The Governance, Transparency and Labor Relations Policy Committee reviews state legislation as it relates to transparency, technology and open data, healthcare, elections and political reform. The Committee also oversees other labor-related issues, including pension and workers compensation reform.

“Since the Partner Program’s inception, MuniServices has had the privilege to serve on various committees. As the Partner voice, I look forward to engaging with the Committee on the timely and emerging policy issues that come before this group,” says Narayan.

MuniServices is one of the nation’s leading providers of tax auditing and revenue recovery services for local municipalities.

To learn more about Fran Mancia, Brenda Narayan and MuniServices, please visit www.muniservices.com.

UCSB Alumnus Elected UC Regent

Posted by Melanie James on February 25, 2016

The UC Santa Barbara Alumni Association Board of Directors has elected Fran Mancia ’80 to serve as one of four University of California Alumni Regents. His term will begin July 1, 2016 as a Regent-designate and he will be a voting Regent from July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018.

Mancia is a vice-president of government relations for MuniServices LLC, a Sacramento based revenue enhancement and protection advocacy firm that specializes in representing government agencies, including cities, counties and special districts. He has been the chair of the UC Santa Barbara Alumni Association’s Advocacy Committee for the past two years and is also very active with the Alumni Council of the UCSB Department of Communication.

UCSB’s Alumni Association elects a Regent every six years as part of a rotation with the other 10 campuses that is based on alumni populations. Mancia will also serve as the President of the Alumni Associations of the University of California in 2017. That is the organization of all UC alumni association presidents and executive directors.

Through his role at MuniServices, Mancia oversees and lobbies on federal and state legislation and regulatory policy that affects the revenue of more than 225 local jurisdictions in California. Over the past 35 years, MuniServices has processed over $12.4 billion in municipal taxes for its government clients, and has helped recover and generate more than $2.4 billion in local revenue.

Mancia received his Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from UCSB and received an MBA from the University of San Francisco. He has been active in industry associations including service as the Chairman of the California Contract Cities Associate Members Program, past-President of the League of California Cities League Partner program. Currently, Mancia serves as a member of the League Revenue and Taxation Policy Committee, and as a trustee of the California City Management Foundation.

Mancia and his wife Barbara live in Cool, California, and are active equestrians.

MuniServices Releases Policy Update on California UUT and AB 1717

Posted by Saara Lampwalla on March 7, 2014

MuniServices has released a Policy Update on legislative changes and consumer trends impacting User Utility Tax (UUT) revenues for local government in California. MuniServices is the leader in UUT taxation issues and is the only revenue enhancement firm with both a state and federal government relations presence to address this complicated local government revenue source.

The Policy Update identifies MuniServices’ three core guiding principles for the evaluation of local government tax policy:

Fairness: Treat similar services and taxpayers the same by using technology-neutral definitions. In doing so, you will have a broader tax base with a lower tax rate for all.
Democracy and Local Control: By California law, the voters must approve local taxes (majority vote for general taxes and 2/3 vote for special taxes). State and federal laws should not interfere with the voters’ decision to impose local taxes on themselves in order to pay for local services.
Ease of Administration: Where possible, tax jurisdictions should adopt procedures that achieve efficiency and ease of administration. State and federal laws should facilitate those goals.

The three page document was written by Brenda Narayan, Director of Government relations for MuniServices.

You can download the Policy Update (PDF) here: MuniServices UUT March 2014

MuniServices and Keenan Step up to Sponsor CCMF’s “Meet Your City Manager” Series

Posted by Melanie James on January 25, 2013

Next week, the California City Management Foundation (CCMF) will be filming interviews for the 2013 installment of CCMF’s “Meet Your City Manger” series at the League of California Cities City Manager’s Department Meeting in San Francisco, California. CCMF will sit down with a new set of city managers to discuss the rewards, challenges and realities of their profession.

The series would not be possible without support. Returning sponsor MuniServices will co-sponsor the 2013 series with Keenan & Associates. “MuniServices is pleased and honored to once again support the CCMF City Manager video series, which I believe is an important medium for highlighting the terrific work done by our California City Management leadership” said Fran Mancia, Director of Government Relations at MuniServices. In addition to their commitment to “Meet Your City Manager”, MuniServices and Keenan & Associates serve as corporate members of CCMF.

Produced by Tripepi Smith & Associates, the series will expand on the subjects and themes from the popular series. “Meet Your City Manager” features members of the management community from a diverse selection of cities throughout the state. The 2013 series will include managers with small and large municipalities, as well as interviews with assistant managers and deputy managers.

The 2013 series will be published on CCMF’s Youtube channel throughout the year. Click here to view installments from the 2012 “Meet Your City Manager” series.

Providing the Thread to Help Stitch Together the Fabric of the City Manager Community

Posted by Melanie James on December 21, 2012

So says Jack Simpson, the man behind the twice-a-month City Manager Newsletter. Indeed he does provide a lot of thread.

Jack is a retired city manager. He served the communities of Bellflower, Paramount, Hawaiian Gardens, Cerritos, and Artesia over his career and became known in the Southeast Los Angeles County Gateway Cities municipal world.

Armed with his computer and hundreds of city management friends, Jack toils away in his home office hammering out two editions of the City Manager Newsletter each month. The newsletter is unique among the world of municipal publications in that Jack focuses on the people and personal lives of the city management community. The publication has helped connect friends who otherwise might only see each other at conferences, and kept retired city managers in the loop on the success of their protégés. Readers will not find articles about legislation, city news or public policy matters. “There are plenty of other places for people to read about municipal issues. But there is only one place to read about the personalities behind most city governments.”

“Being a member of the city management community is an honor,” comments Jack. “There are so many great people involved in local government trying to help cities succeed, and I like the idea of these city folks having a way to stay connected when the council meetings are over, the conferences are done and the city hall is dark.”

The newsletter features various themes throughout the year to guide the selection of managers or staff that Jack highlights. Themes have included alumni of graduate programs, staff who have shared experiences at certain cities, or mutual winners of professional awards. The result is a sprinkling of names and the acknowledgements of local government personalities from across California.

Jack’s audience often finds him at conferences and events with a camera in hand, and the photos he takes become content for his newsletter. “People enjoy seeing familiar faces in the newsletter.”

While the City Manager Newsletter is a labor of love for Jack, the travel and productions cost require resources, and private sector sponsors have stepped up with sponsorship money to fund the newsletter. Sponsors receive advertising space on the Trackdown Management web site and in the newsletter, plus each sponsor is highlighted once a year.

“Every time I read that newsletter I learn something new about a friend or business relationship. Jack is doing important work, and I am glad I can help financially as a sponsor. It is a good value,” says Wesley Wolf, of Wolf & Company a long time sponsor of the newsletter, and a former City Administrator.

Fran Mancia of MuniServices has also jumped on the sponsorship bandwagon, “MuniServices appreciates the opportunity to partner with city managers via the California Contract Cities Association, the California City Management Foundation and the League of California Cities. We are also very proud to be a sponsor of the City Manager Newsletter. It is a natural fit and a great resource for our company and the city management community.”

“Sponsors of the City Manager Newsletter by Trackdown are companies that recognize the value of the city manager community and the personal relationships that are a key part of the craft,” says Jack.

Posse members also help support Jack’s efforts. These individuals write a check to Jack in support of his newsletter. Posse members consist of both current and retired city managers, as well as private sector supporters of the city management community.

Trackdown is a featured content provider to PublicCEO.com, and the Picking Up the Pieces section proves very popular. Through Picking Up The Pieces, Jack documents the hiring and retiring activities in the city management world.

You can learn more about the newsletter at www.trackdownmanagement.net and sign up to receive the newsletter for free by clicking here.

CMRTA Hosts Annual Conference, Addresses Major Revenue Policy Issues

Posted by Melanie James on December 3, 2012

Local government tax and revenue professionals gathered from across California at the Marriot in Walnut Creek to attend the Annual Conference of the California Municipal Revenue and Tax Association (CMRTA). CMRTA consists of over 300 California-based local government revenue agencies. The organization provides education, training, certification, and legislative advocacy services for its members. “The Annual Conference is one of the ways CMRTA connects members to organizations who are very involved with cities to network, exchange ideas and share experiences” said David McPherson, President of CMRTA.

This year’s conference commenced with a welcome from Walnut Creek Mayor Bob Simmons and continued with a keynote speech delivered by Loren Lillestrand of Lillestrand Leadership Consulting. Additional events included workshops on GIS, CRO testing, business licenses, social media and email as marketing tools, landlord compliance audits and food services licenses. The conference wrapped up with the Annual CMRTA Awards Banquet which celebrates the accomplishments of members recognized as top professionals in their field.

An annual highlight of the conference is the legislative update, prepared by the team at MuniServices. Presented just days after Governor Brown’s deadline to act on bills sent to his desk, the update gave a concise but comprehensive look at recent legislative, regulatory and policy decisions impacting local government revenue sources. The update was presented by Fran Mancia and Brenda Narayan of the MuniServices Government Relations team. Located in the League of California Cities building in Sacramento, the MuniServices Government Relations team publishes policy updates throughout the year analyzing and recommending ways for local governments to best preserve and expand revenue sources. “It is an honor to share our knowledge and policy perspectives with attendees of the CMRTA conference,” said Mr. Mancia, “The conference is a tremendous opportunity to present and exchange information with a large and distinguished audience that is extremely knowledgeable about local government revenue issues.” The legislative update reviewed proposed legislation from 2012 in five areas: government administration, local governance and finance, property tax/post-redevelopment, sales and use taxes, and the utility user tax. In addition to proposed legislation, the presentation explored ways to maximize revenues from parking citations and the reviewed the implications of the 2014 expiration of the City Business Tax Exchange Program. “Legislation and regulations are constantly changing,” said Mancia, “and cities need to be aware of the changes occurring in Sacramento and in Washington in order to best serve their citizens. Organizations like CMRTA provide vital opportunities for local revenue professionals to network and learn from each other in order to address these changes.”

Among the most pressing issues discussed was the Supreme Court’s ruling from earlier this year for redevelopment agencies to be dissolved by February 2 of 2012. Other highlights include a review of SB 1186 which imposes a $1 fee for local business licenses to help with ADA requirements and education. This is especially important for the CMRTA, as the implementation requirements are expected to be in place very soon. The September 15, 2012 implementation of last year’s AB 155 means that efforts are underway for use tax collection by on-line retailers. BOE Regulation 1684 includes the implementation provisions of AB 155. Last year, participants were awaiting final action on BOE Regulations 1807 and 1828, related to the reallocation of local taxes as well Compliance Manual 9 (the operating manual for the Board concerning the reallocation process). The regulations have now been enacted and the necessary processes are in place. Also mentioned was the noteworthy success for local governments and the blocking of the last minute amendments to AB 658, related to local place of sale rules. Proponents of the amendments were seeking to reverse a court decision that had not yet been reviewed on appeal and to address complex areas of tax law and policy with a single, simplistic stroke. Senator Wolk (Senate Governance and Finance Committee Chair) spoke during the hearing and expressed concern that, because there are cities on either side of the issue, all parties should have the opportunity to participate in the measure through the legislative process. All cities and counties in the state are better served by tax policy established through a deliberative, public discussion of the impacts of the various tax allocation methods. The bill did not receive a motion for a vote.

Next year’s conference will take place from October 9th through 11th at the Hilton in Costa Mesa.

Click here to view the CMRTA Policy Update Review at the MuniServices website.