About Us | Strong Cities Strong State

About Us | Strong Cities Strong State

Welcome to “Strong Cities | Strong State,” an innovative campaign designed to communicate the importance of local government in California residents’ everyday lives, and the people at work delivering critical municipal services.

With this website as the centerpiece, the campaign will broadly promote city success stories alongside profiles of the elected city officials and city managers working together to build and maintain a high quality of life for California city residents. The program is a joint effort of the California City Management Foundation and the League of California Cities.

The Strong Cities program provides a first of its kind platform for showcasing California cities’ success stories, allowing cities to highlight their accomplishments while emphasizing specific city services and community characteristics. Moreover, “Strong Cities” will promote the innovation and experience of local officials in delivering vital services at a time when this expertise is vitally needed by state leaders struggling with fundamental issues of governance. The successful passage of Prop. 22 in November 2010 is the most recent demonstration that Californians hold their local communities and cities in high regard along with the services they provide. “Strong Cities | Strong State” will help position cities as vital, necessary and equal partners in building a better California.

The Strong Cities | Strong State campaign will profile individual cities, with a goal of highlighting all California cities over the coming 18 months. Profiles will include photos, video and other media articulating how each individual city has been working to both provide essential services, as well as elevate the quality life of its residents. Success stories will range from public safety initiatives to educational partnerships, infrastructure improvements to community engagement strategies and more.

Lodi

The City of Lodi is the northern-most city in San Joaquin County. Lodi bridges the areas of Northern and Central California - an ideal location for business and visitors touring the abundant winegrape growing region. The City is located 90 miles east of San Francisco, 35 miles south of Sacramento, the State's capital, adjacent to Highways 99, 12, and 88 and is easily accessible to Interstate I-5.

Founded in 1906, Lodi has been committed to quality growth and strives to protect its historical, small-town charm through an annual growth management program. With a population of approximately 63,500, Lodi is a modern day city with a hometown feel, incorporating public art in its award-winning Public Works projects. Throughout the year there are plenty of cultural and community events to enjoy including farmers’ markets and downtown strolls. Community partnerships with various organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, keep the City strong and connected. With a vibrant downtown, a growing wine industry and the state-of-the-art Lodi Energy Center, the City of Lodi has something for everyone including visitors, residents and entrepreneurs.

Follow the City of Lodi on Twitter (@CityofLodi) or read the city blog here.

Tracy

Tracy is a community of 83,000 where neighbors and local merchants greet residents by name and the welcoming never stops. Tradition, charity and prosperity abound. Locals know the City as one of the friendliest cities in California. Tracy is a place to kick off your shoes, sit back and relax. The opportunity to live the good life still exists here, and family, faith, education and the arts are still valued within the community.

Our strategic location is a theme that runs throughout our town’s history, even as the country’s emphasis has shifted from railroads to highways. Tracy is centered in a triangle formed by the interstates of 580, 205 and 5. Tracy is also conveniently situated an hour from Sacramento, San Francisco and San Jose and a few hours from Los Angeles. If residents desire recreation, Tracy is also situated near the Bay Delta, Yosemite, and Tahoe.

There are extensive public facilities for sports and recreation for both youth and adults. The City is also expanding its recreational offerings through groundbreaking public-private partnerships. Tracy is also home to several annual festivals including the popular Dry Bean Festival–a nod to its agricultural history and a summer/fall evening Wine Stroll, which showcases one of the area’s local crops–grapes.

Tracy’s traditions are constantly being reinvented. While we move forward, we never leave our foundation. The City is proud of the significant strides it has made in positioning itself for future business success, resident prosperity, family enrichment and exemplary financial sustainability. Some of the progress made includes technology investments and a reorganization that created a streamlined permitting process and greater efficiencies for both the City and investing businesses. Tracy is a growing, evolving, vibrant community with new and expanding possibilities around every corner.