Mendocino LAFCo

Mendocino LAFCo Policies & Procedures Manual

State law requires that each LAFCO establish written policies and procedures and exercise its powers in a manner consistent with those policies and procedures. (Government Code Section 56300).

In 2018, Mendocino LAFCo formally adopted a comprehensive policy update involving Mendocino LAFCo’s administrative, regulatory, and planning functions. The resulting Policy & Procedures Manual serves as Mendocino LAFCo’s principal document.  The document serves to outline the standards, goals, strategies, and requirements in uniformly fulfilling its prescribed duties consistent with the collective preferences of the membership to promote and produce orderly local government responsive to local conditions. Nonetheless, Mendicino LAFCo reserves discretion in administering the Policy & Procedures Manual to remain responsive to unique and changing circumstances.

The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg (CKH) Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 establishes procedures for local government changes of organization, including city incorporations, annexations to a city or special district, and city and special district consolidations. Local agency formation commissions (LAFCos) have numerous powers under the Act, but those of primary concern are the power to act on local agency boundary changes and to adopt spheres of influence for local agencies.