It’s time to raise awareness for all your district’s hard work and, more importantly, an opportunity for you to use your voice to bring about change. The National Special Districts Coalition is introducing the first National Action Week August 8-12. All special districts will have the opportunity to share their concerns with multiple federal legislators at a congressional recess. It’s your turn to shine!
Click here to register for this free virtual event, and take the next step towards taking your district to the next level. Upon registration, you will receive valuable resources, advocacy materials, and legislative updates.
Many people are often unaware of all the work done behind the scenes in order to make their lives more full and the services they depend on run smoothly. The NSDC is here to give you the opportunity to show your constituents how everything comes together and why special districts are so important.
Did you know that special districts originated in California’s very own San Joaquin Valley? Local farmers were struggling with a limited water supply and worked together to create the first ever irrigation district. Eventually, the Wright Act of 1887 was passed, which allowed farmers to use funding from bond sales to deliver an adequate water supply to local farms. From there, many more districts were created to address a wide range of community concerns. Special districts are established to promote efficiency, allowing our community members to live happy and healthy lives. This national action week is the time to show your California spirit and band together to identify the needs and advocate for important resources.
Did you know that there are about 3,400 special districts in CA and a majority of Californians don’t even know what special districts are? People are unaware that without the work of special districts, there would be no running water, no sewage treatment, no fire protection, no national parks and recreation, no healthcare programs, etc. Tourism improvement districts also play a role, bringing visitors to their destinations and, in turn, keeping Transient Occupancy Tax and sales tax revenue flowing into local economies. Most community members don’t realize that the state government can’t do everything by themselves, so it is up to these districts to keep our cities humming along.
Did you know that while employing nearly 20,000 people every day, tourism contributes to a huge proportion of the funding special districts need, taking on a key role in the effective operations of our cities. “Tourism boosts the revenue of the economy, creates thousands of jobs, develops the infrastructures of our country, and plants a sense of cultural exchange between foreigners and citizens.” Travel drives our economy and connects us with the rest of the world, enhancing our experience and developing our quality of life.
All of these fun facts show how important your work is to our community. We work to support special district efforts to address our communities’ concerns, and now it’s time to take those issues to the next level. National Action Week gives us the chance to voice those concerns to our political representatives. This opportunity offers a chance to talk to our political representatives about the local problems our special districts are dedicated to solving. We will identify the resources and funding needed to keep bringing in tourists, and continue to promote community vitality. At NSDC we’ll get to rally together to make a real difference in our communities. Remember to register for National Action Week so our cities can operate in the best way possible!
Fill out the registration form here to be a part of the 2022 National Special Districts Action Week! If you have any questions or need more information, email Mary at [email protected].