Political Factors Stockton is governed primarily by the city government, which is led by the City Council. It consists of the mayor and six councilmembers, all of which have four-year terms. There is a maximum of two terms as mayor or councilmember. Councilmembers are nominated by six districts across Stockton and elected by the city at-large. The city government establishes city policies, ordinances, contracts and agreements; it approves the city’s annual budget and appoints four positions: the city manager, the city attorney, the city auditor and the city clerk. 1 Since Stockton is a charter city and thus enjoys wider autonomy, it is not bound by California state law on how to conduct city elections, the form of government, public contracts. Zoning ordinances are also not required to be consistent with the county’s general plan unless the city has adopted a consistency requirement by charter or by ordinance. 2 Stockton is the seat of San Joaquin County. It is a general law county, which encompasses six other cities as well as Stockton. The county’s governing body is the Board of Supervisors. It is composed of five supervisors, representing five districts. Stockton is divided into three of these districts: District 1 covers North Stockton, District 2 covers South Stockton, while some western outskirts of Stockton fall under District 3, which also covers the cities of Lathrop and Manteca. 3 Supervisors are elected and serve three-year terms. 4 The county serves as the local government for areas outside of city limits, whereas within Stockton, its powers are limited. Thus spatial planning, public safety, animal control, parks, public works and other fields fall under city jurisdiction. Factor Description Situation in Stockton Opportunity Threat Bankruptcy Effect on governance and policy Bankruptcy has had an effect on Stockton. Fiscal sustainability is now on the city government’s strategic plan. Bankruptcy judge and debtors are stakeholders in the political process 5 The bankruptcy and more scrutiny could result in better management of the city’s finances More stakeholders in the process can delay procedures and complicate decision making 1 City of Stockton (2014). City Council. Retrieved November 5, 2014, from http://stocktongov.com/government/council/default.html 2 League of California Cities (n.d.). General Law City v. Charter City. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from http://www.cacities.org/Resources-Documents/Resources-Section/Charter-Cities/Chart_General_Law_v-_Charter_Cities-07-26-11 3 San Joaquin County (n.d.). San Joaquin County Supervisoral district map. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from http://www.sjgov.org/uploadedFiles/SJC/Departments/board/AlldistrictNew100dpi.pdf 4 San Joaquin County (2014). Board of Supervisors. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from http://sjgov.org/board/ 5 Bathon, M. et al. (2014, October 30). Stockton’s Pension-Protecting Bankruptcy Plan Approved. Bloomberg. Retrieved November 10, 2014 from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-30/stockton-california-wins-court-approval-of-bankruptcy.html
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Political Factors
Stockton is governed primarily by the city government, which is led by the City Council. It consists of the mayor and six councilmembers, all of which have four-year terms. There is a maximum of two terms as mayor or councilmember. Councilmembers are nominated by six districts across Stockton and elected by the city at-large. The city government establishes city policies, ordinances, contracts and agreements; it approves the city’s annual budget and appoints four positions: the city manager, the city attorney, the city auditor and the city clerk.1 Since Stockton is a charter city and thus enjoys wider autonomy, it is not bound by California state law on how to conduct city elections, the form of government, public contracts. Zoning ordinances are also not required to be consistent with the county’s general plan unless the city has adopted a consistency requirement by charter or by ordinance.2
Stockton is the seat of San Joaquin County. It is a general law county, which encompasses six other cities as well as Stockton. The county’s governing body is the Board of Supervisors. It is composed of five supervisors, representing five districts. Stockton is divided into three of these districts: District 1 covers North Stockton, District 2 covers South Stockton, while some western outskirts of Stockton fall under District 3, which also covers the cities of Lathrop and Manteca.3 Supervisors are elected and serve three-year terms.4 The county serves as the local government for areas outside of city limits, whereas within Stockton, its powers are limited. Thus spatial planning, public safety, animal control, parks, public works and other fields fall under city jurisdiction.
Factor Description Situation in Stockton Opportunity Threat
Bankruptcy Effect on governance and policy
Bankruptcy has had an effect on Stockton. Fiscal sustainability is now on the city government’s strategic plan. Bankruptcy judge and debtors are stakeholders in the political process5
The bankruptcy and more scrutiny could result in better management of the city’s finances
More stakeholders in the process can delay procedures and complicate decision making
1 City of Stockton (2014). City Council. Retrieved November 5, 2014, from http://stocktongov.com/government/council/default.html 2 League of California Cities (n.d.). General Law City v. Charter City. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from http://www.cacities.org/Resources-Documents/Resources-Section/Charter-Cities/Chart_General_Law_v-_Charter_Cities-07-26-11 3 San Joaquin County (n.d.). San Joaquin County Supervisoral district map. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from http://www.sjgov.org/uploadedFiles/SJC/Departments/board/AlldistrictNew100dpi.pdf 4 San Joaquin County (2014). Board of Supervisors. Retrieved November 8, 2014, from http://sjgov.org/board/ 5 Bathon, M. et al. (2014, October 30). Stockton’s Pension-Protecting Bankruptcy Plan Approved. Bloomberg. Retrieved November 10, 2014 from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-30/stockton-california-wins-court-approval-of-bankruptcy.html
Next elections for mayor and Districts 2, 4 and 6 councilmembers will be held in 20166
The elections could result in continuing and/or increasing revitalization activity
The new city council could face more difficulty in agreeing on necessary measures
Cooperation with private sector
Ability to provide land to business at little or no cost endangered by bankruptcy, privatizing services may not be in the long-term interest of the city.7 The city has designated the Economic Development Plan as one of its priority goals.8
Government shows willingness to cooperate with the private sector, which is positive for Stockton’s redevelopment.
Further limits imposed by changes in state legislation or by bankruptcy procedure could negatively affect the city’s ability to attract business. Furthermore, the city’s financial situation could make retaining public services difficult in the future
County government
Change in city-county relationship
Next elections for county supervisors in 2016
There is a possibility of increased and better cooperation between the city and county
Cooperation could stall
Relationship with state and federal government
Changes in state policy Governor Brown intends to transfer more power to local authorities, especially in education and criminal justice9
More autonomy from state government to better address the specific needs of Stockton
Potentially more costs for city budget
Encroachment on local matters
The city has commented that there seems to be an increasing amount of encroachment by state and federal governments on local matters10
A predefined framework could mean more streamlined decision-making
Loss of autonomy, decreased ability to serve the interests of the people of Stockton
6 City of Stockton (2014). Candidate Index, Office of the City Clerk. Retrieved December 15, 2014, from http://stocktongov.com/government/departments/clerk/canIndex.html 7 Stagnaro, D. (2014). Request for information from Deliverable 1. 8 City of Stockton (2014). City Council Goals. Retrieved November 4, 2014, from http://stocktongov.com/government/council/default.html 9 Mehta, S., Finnegan, M. (2014, October 19). An experienced Jerry Brown vows to build on what he's already done. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-jerry-brown-20141019-story.html 10 Stagnaro, D. (2014). Request for information from Deliverable 1.
The city has active NGOs, which are working in various fields. One such example is the Reinvent South Stockton Campaign, which is working towards improving education, economic development, housing, healthcare and reducing crime
Better engagement with the community, more relevant and useful solutions to problems faced by various subpopulations of Stockton
NGOs working towards their goals and focusing the city’s attention to certain issues could mean neglecting other issues which may be as important but underrepresented
Economic Factors
Factor Description Figure(s) for Stockton Average figure(s)/ situation Opportunity Threat Comment Source
Income
Median household
income 42114 60190
Decrease unemployment and
increase median income through
introduction of new industries.
Traditionally lower wage industries
needed to decrease unemployment
among population with lower
education. Higher wage industries
needed to increase the median income and quality of life.
/
5 year estimate (2008-2013)
United States Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)
Mean household
income 58566 85707 5 year estimate (2008-2013)
United States Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)
Average household net
worth 450620 685979
United States Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)
Median income
Median income in the bracket of up to 25 years of
age is quite similar for Stockton and California, with a difference of only $1,800 or 5.5%. The gap
increases in the 25-44 year old bracket where California
is ahead by more than $9,500 or 21%. The
difference in the 45-64 year old bracket is higher again, at over $15,000 or 26%. In
the over-65 year old bracket the difference is over $12.000 or 28%. The
statistics show the income gap is larger between the
older workforce than between the younger
workforce. Part of this disparity can be explained
by difference in unemployment rate.
Significant explanatory
Point 2 Homes demographic database
32438
44164
57794
4388034240
53740
73055
56160
1802
957615261
12280
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
under 25 25-44 45-64 over 65
Stockton
California
Difference
power is attributed to the industry breakdowns of Stockton and California. Specifically, the relative number of the population employed in traditionally
better paid industries such as finance and management.
Living income for a 2 adults + 1
child household
37718 43269
The average household in Stockton has 3.09 members while the average household
in California has 2.9 members. The living wage
yearly income for a household of 2 adults and 1 child is thus an acceptable
(but far from perfect) proxy for total household
expenditures.
MIT living wage calculator
Percent increase in
income since 2000
30% 30%
While the increase in nominal income in Stockton and in the State of California
as a whole from the beginning of the millennium
until 2013 is comparable, income growth in Stockton has tapered off relative to California for the period
2010-2013.
Point 2 Homes demographic database
Percent increase in
income since 2010
5% 7% Point 2 Homes demographic database
Industry
Industry breakdown
per population employed
Potential increase in the
manufacturing sector.
High relative part of services in
industry breakdown, demand for
which tends to be more volatile
dependent on the state of the economy.
Civilian employed population 16 and over. A large part of the population
in Stockton, 24.6%, is employed in the Educational services, and health care and social assistance sector. This
exceeds the California average of 21%. Not
surprisingly, the percentage of the population involved in Agriculture is significantly
higher in Stockton, 4%, than in California on average,
2.3%, due to highly fertile land near Stockton. On the
other hand, the manufacturing sector in
Stockton, 8.7%, is below the California average of 10%.
United States Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)
3,94%5,34%
8,74%4,17%
12,49%
6,30%1,57%5,49%
8,15%
24,60%
8,32%
4,91%5,98%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Wholesale trade
Retail trade
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities
Information
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and wastemanagement servicesEducational services, and health care and social assistance
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services
Other services, except public administration
Public administration
2,33% 5,99%
9,98%
3,16%
11,12%
4,65%
2,83%
6,42%
12,62%
21,02%
9,79%
5,37%4,71%
Jobs and employm
ent
Class of worker
Incentives for entrepreneurs.
Sparse funding. Potential economic
downturn can wipe out
establishing businesses - high
risk involved. Non-conducive
business environment.
Higher relative number of Government workers and lower relative number of
self-employed entrepreneurs in Stockton.
Point 2 Homes demographic database
Unemployment rate 10.6% 7.3%
Work migratio
n
Breakdown of work
commute
105,605 people commute daily to their place of employment. The
vast majority, 75%, use their vehicle and drive alone. 16% carpool and only 1.64% use
public transport, which is less than the number of people who
walk to work, 2%.
Rethinking public transport to make it a more acceptable
alternative to driving. Provide
incentives for carpooling.
Urban sprawl.
According to locals, public transport is deemed unsafe
in Stockton and is thus avoided. Using public
transport also signifies a certain stigma; other means of transport imply a degree
of wealth.
United States Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)
11 CHILDREN’S HEALTH INDICATORS IN STOCKTON: BUILDING A SHARED UNDERSTANDING, DIRECTION, AND HOPE (n.d.) Retrieved November 25th, from http://www.kidsdata.org/topic/41/families-with-children-type250/table#fmt=470&loc=2,127,331,171,345,357,324,369,362,360,364,356,217,328,354,320, 339,334,365,343,367,344,366,368,265,349,361,4,273,59,370,326,341,338,350,342,359,363,340,335,1269&tf=67&ch=1074,1075,1067,1078,1077,1072&sortColumnId=0&sortType=asc
Tuberculosis
/ Inability to provide an adequate
treatment to all people that need
it
On aver-age from 2005-2009, 5.3% of TB cases in SJC were co-infected with AIDS. Managing these cases requires a
multi-pronged approach. Individuals co-infected
with TB and AIDS require complex
treatment regimens, as well as numerous
medical, social and other ser-vices. TB cases in
SJC also have high rates of substance abuse.12
Infant mortality
Improving the life conditions of the critical groups
Deepening the differences (in
both life conditions as well as the
accessibility to the medical
help) among the ethnicities living
in the city
High rates in African American population;
over three times the rate for White and Asian
infants and more than 2.5 times the rate for
Hispanic infants.13
12 San Joaquin County; COMMUNITY HEALTH STATUS REPORT 2011 (2011). San Joaquin County Public Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.sjcphs.org/disease/documents/FINAL%20Updated%20Health%20Status%204-1-11.pdf 13 San Joaquin County; COMMUNITY HEALTH STATUS REPORT 2011 (2011). San Joaquin County Public Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.sjcphs.org/disease/documents/FINAL%20Updated%20Health%20Status%204-1-11.pdf
HIV/AIDS
Inclusion of those people in the community; education of others to help rather judge in
order for them all to feel as part of
Stockton and have a will to make it a better place to live
in
If not handled properly (with education and
access to treatments and
protection), there is a danger
that the HIV prevalence can be expanded.
The AIDS rates in SJC from 1990-2009
followed the same trend as the state’s rates (but
with lower rates). In SJC, Whites, Hispanics, and
Asians all show a greater proportion of AIDS cases
than HIV cases, which indicates a greater number of older
infections versus more recently acquired
infections. Greater number of new infections with HIV are occurring in the African American
population.14
Leading death causes
Improve the protection and education on
avoiding unintentional
injuries (that are much greater
among men than women)
Hereditary illnesses; hard to eradicate them
Chronic diseases account for 70% of all deaths in the U.S., with heart disease, cancer, and stroke together accounting for more than 50% of all deaths each year. While African Americans had the highest proportion of deaths due to diabetes than any other racial/ethnic groups, they had the lowest
14 San Joaquin County; COMMUNITY HEALTH STATUS REPORT 2011 (2011). San Joaquin County Public Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.sjcphs.org/disease/documents/FINAL%20Updated%20Health%20Status%204-1-11.pdf
Leading death causes by ethnicity
Differences in sensitivity to some external factors as well
as in accessibility to
treatments
percentage of cancer deaths. This is in contrast to the high incidence of cancer in African Americans. Hispanics had the highest percentage of deaths due to accidents (unintentional injuries) but the lowest due to heart disease.15
Obesity Highest rate of obese people in the US in 2009 Situation improved in the following years
Application of projects financed by the country or state to tackle the
issue
This problem may cause other
health issues
Sugar Sweetened Beverage Campaign
initiated-to strengthen the foundation for policy
changes aimed at reducing the
consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage in San Joaquin County.16
15 San Joaquin County; COMMUNITY HEALTH STATUS REPORT 2011 (2011). San Joaquin County Public Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.sjcphs.org/disease/documents/FINAL%20Updated%20Health%20Status%204-1-11.pdf 16 San Joaquin County; COMMUNITY HEALTH STATUS REPORT 2011 (2011). San Joaquin County Public Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.sjcphs.org/disease/documents/FINAL%20Updated%20Health%20Status%204-1-11.pdf
Technological Factors
Factor Description Figure(s) for
Stockton Average
figure(s)/situation Opportunity Thread Comment
Energy usage
Carbon emissions from
transportation and residential energy use [kg
per capita]
2 016 2 235 (100 largest metropolitan areas in US)
Stockton can become one of the
leading cities in the region,
promoting smart city philosophy. With low carbon
emissions, there is not much needed to do to receive
this status.
The number may increase if heavy industry or other
pollutants are being brought to
the city.
Areas with small per capita footprints tend to have higher
density, concentration of development, and rail transportation.
New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco have the smallest
transportation and residential footprints.
Annual wasted fuel per person
5 000 10 000 (US average) (additional information
needed, status: obtaining)
(additional information
needed, status: obtaining)
Wasted' fuel is the difference between the fuel consumed under
estimated existing conditions and the fuel consumed under free-flow
conditions.
HERO Program - - Opportunity for all stakeholders in
the city: homeowners may
reduce their electricity bill,
municipality can benefit by
revitalizing the community, and contractors can
create jobs.
City might not be able to take full
advantage of this program due to
other limitations.
HERO Program provides Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
funding for homeowners to finance the purchase and installation of
renewable energy, energy and water efficiency improvements, and
electric-vehicle-charging infrastructure improvements to their
property with no up-front costs .Look at the link for more info. Will
come in to affect in Fall 2014.
Access to Internet
Public Libraries-Electronic services
285 503 (cities in CA with > 400k population)
As seen from data below, nearly 1/3
of Stockton's citizens do not have access to internet. Public
libraries can help to reduce this
percentage. They can also be used
as safe point or to report a crime to
the police.
Public libraries are mainly located in
the downtown Stockton, where is
relatively good internet coverage. Due to high crime
rate zones, no library is interested in moving to area
of District 6.
May not be useful indicator due to the presence of large number of big cities (San Francisco, San Jose, Los
Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino)
Internet Speeds
As seen from the chart on the right,
Stockton is significantly
behind in maximum
download speed via landline as
well as via wireless
technology.
Implementing new technologies,
which can increase internet speeds can
be expensive, might compromise
city budget.
City is featuring decent average download speeds, which are above
the national average. National maximum speeds (especially using
wireless technology) are significantly higher than Stockton's. Investing in high-speed wireless can be costly, mainly since there is no
existing free public wireless infrastructure.
Internet Connectivity
Opportunity to increase the
percentage of population
connected to internet. Some
examples can be found in this data
sheet.
Installing internet connectivity for
greater amount of people can be
expensive, infrastructure
barriers, possibility of abuse
An estimated 198,361 Stockton residents are connected to the
Internet in some capacity - either at home, work, elsewhere or at multiple
locations. An estimated 93,346 Stockton residents are not connected to the Internet. These residents are not connected at home, work, or
elsewhere. It is estimated that 223,448 Stockton residents live in a
household where Internet is available.
Implementation of mobile cellular
network
LTE network coverage (Sprint,
Verizon, AT&T since 2012)
Excellent LTE coverage in the area of California state (lots of
tech companies)
Excellent connectivity
conditions are paving the road to
smart city concept.
Implementation of the latest
technologies, like LTE, can be
capital intensive; it might result in
more costly mobile subscription plans.
City offers great LTE coverage by all American leading
telecommunications providers.
Access to free Wi-Fi in the
city/on the buses
No Wi-Fi connectivity on the buses
Some bus stops in San Francisco are offering solar-powered Wi-Fi.
Free public Wi-Fi on buses and
other public areas helps to introduce
other solutions associated with
internet connectivity.
Abuse of the system; vulnerable
to hackers who want to access
private (and credit card) information
via public networks.
Commercial/retail areas have surveillance cameras. The quality of those cameras varies. The city, and
even county, are completely broke, I do not think any council members
would any support large-scale surveillance. At the same time, since
high-crime zones may be low-income zones. Businesses might not have enough money to buy them. -
H.L.
Innovation potential
Number of patent applications in
given years
203 (2008-2014) 2 171 012 (US patents, 2008-2012)
Relatively in the near of Silicon
valley, Stockton has potential to
become an innovation center.
City does not feature enough R&D centers, thread to be completely
swallowed by Silicon valley.
Top patent applicants: Ryan Guest (9), Edward A. Wolf (9), Joe Bradley
Lasiter (9), Jean-Pierre Dueri (8), Roger Curtis (6), etc.
Investing in renewable
sources of energy
Due to bankruptcy and according to city
expenditures plan for FY 2014-15 no investments in
renewables are being planned
California's RPS Plan: 20% of electricity from renewables by
2017. State is investing heavily.
Greater energy independence,
lowering the price of energy,
employing people in energy sector - less unemployed.
Expensive production costs
may damage city's budget - need for state subsidies or financing from other sources
(HERO program, etc.)
California produces only 71% of needed energy by itself.
R&D, percentage of city budget reserved for research and development
activity
3% of city budget ($12.8 M)
7,8% of CA GDP ($77 billion in 2007)
To take advantage of nearness of
Silicon valley and attract some
capital.
Probably insignificant, since
Stockton has no real potential to
become tech center, because to
brain drain to Silicon valley.
Companies in California alone accounted for 24% of the nation's
business R&D.
Tech Incubators (number)
At least one (obtaining more info)
California has probably the highest density of tech incubators
in the world.
Excellent connectivity,
entrepreneurial spirit, low
property value, can attract more tech incubators
Tech incubator located in downtown Stockton.
Peripheries (like D6) not included
in tech development
programs.
May not be most useful indicator, biased because of Silicon valley.
More info about the tech incubator available on the link.
Irrigation infrastructur
e
Capacity of existing irrigation
infrastructure, scalability
possibilities
No special problems with water, reservoirs,
waterway systems available, outlying
areas farmland
Central Valley Project (San Joaquin River has great
importance)
Urban farming, relatively cheap
healthy food, better-connected
community, employing local
workforce.
Costly installation of irrigation
infrastructure if not already set up.
Questionable soil quality. Great possibility of
droughts.
Outlying areas of Stockton and San Joaquin gets most of its water from the Delta a huge waterway system
that travels in SF bay. South California wants to build a massive tunnel system to feed water to its
farming areas.
Digital citizen/Smar
t city
Open-data initiatives, apps to improve cities
Stockton Police app (iOS/Android)
- Reduce crime rate, due to the
reporting feature of the app.
Abuse of the system. Local
police can be led into ambush with gangsters. Use of
Biodiversity Chinook salmon, variety of migratory birds is nesting in the area
San Joaquin River Restoration Program (revive the River’s
historic salmon fishery), 54,000
juvenile released in S.J. river in April
2014
Ideal tracks for biking and promoting
tourism.
Delta Project can damage unique
ecosystems.
-
Water management
San Joaquin River Restoration Program
Delta Project Waterway System
Improving water management, good system for sewers
Strong earthquake could pose serious
threat to Delta Waterway Supply
Project
-
Waste management
Private collector companies (Allied Waste and Waste
Management), Foothill Landfill for San Joaquin County, average daily volume of waste 620t
Foothill Landfill for San Joaquin County
in operation until 2055
System that rewards households which
recycle
Polluting the underground water
-
Air quality Stockton climate action plan, significant
improvements in ozone levels
Surroundings of bigger cities
experience moderate air quality, otherwise
Lower expenditure for health due to less
polluted environment
With industrialization of
the city there is growing possibility
The CAP assumes 83% of the reductions needed
to achieve the City’s GHG reduction goal
will be achieved
California has high AQI
of bringing more pollutants to the area
through state programs, with the remainder
(17%) accomplished through City ‐lev
programs. Building energy, transportation,
and waste were identified as areas with
great potential for emissions savings.
Soil quality Surroundings of Stockton has highly
fertile soil, within the city
Highly fertile soil in Sacramento - San
Joaquin Valley, one of the largest citrus production areas in
US.
Mainly productive soils, suitable for
agriculture, and urban agriculture.
High seedling mortality in brown-
fields.
-
Energy resources
Sun potential YES YES - - Number of sunny days
Wind potential YES YES - - Predictable and constant wind.
Water potential NO YES - - No real slope to build hydropower plant.
Key AA - average
annual AM - average monthly P.o. - Port of I.A. - International
Airport I-5 - Interstate 5
Legal Factors Factor Description Situation in Stockton Opportunity Threat Comments
Business regulations* Ease of doing business
California is considered one of the more difficult states to do business in. It has comparatively high taxes
and a complicated regulatory environment.17 However, by
international rankings, the US does well, especially in access to credit
and insolvency procedures.18
Attract new businesses by decreasing bureaucracy in
procedures under city jurisdiction, not necessarily
decreasing taxes.
Stockton’s position in California puts it at a
disadvantage in attracting business due
to complicated regulations and high
taxes.
The Small Business Friendliness Survey by Thumbtack and
the Kauffmann Foundation found
that small businesses are more deterred by
high levels of bureaucracy than by
high taxes.19
Crime law Enforcement
Since the rise of crime in 1980s, Stockton's Police Department has
been fighting with high gang activity, illegal drug sale, firearm sale, violent and property crime.
Low density of population, lack of distinctive high crime degree areas and the fact that crime is spread out
around the city without any recognizable pattern, have been the
main causes for police force's ineffectiveness when trying to
prevent criminal acts.20
Employing and engaging community in tackling these issues, as they are directly
affected.
Uncontrolled spreading of the criminal
activities due to the unpredictable nature of
the crime. With California having the largest number of hate
groups, the white supremacist population and white street gangs
may continue to proliferate. Violent attacks against non-
whites may continue.1
To break the cycle of chronic, generational crime and improve
public safety in Stockton, law
enforcements have been trying to
interrupt and prevent violence and homicides by
targeting high-risk persons, places and
situations.1
Corruption Convictions on state level
One of the least corrupted states (measured in number of convicted
officials per capita; counted on gross level, in top 10 with the most
convictions)
Developed consciousness about the issue can be beneficial in
eradicating it or diminishing its presence.
Hard to measure and prove. /
Codes 16 Municipal codes
Municipal Code Title 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Adequate implementation according to the Constitution / Wide coverage of the
topics with city
17 Thumbtack.com, Kaufmann Foundation (2014). Thumbtack.com Small Business Friendliness Survey. Retrieved December 13, 2014, from http://www.thumbtack.com/survey#/2014/1/states 18 World Bank (2014). Ease of Doing Business in United States. Ease of Doing Business 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/united-states 19 Thumbtack.com, Kaufmann Foundation (2014). Thumbtack.com Small Business Friendliness Survey. Retrieved December 13, 2014, from http://www.thumbtack.com/survey#/2014/1/states 20 Organized crime in California 2007-2008: Annual Report to the Legislature. California office of the Attorney General. Retrieved from http://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/publications/org_crime2007_08.pdf
Municipal Code Title 2 ADMINISTRATION AND
PERSONNEL Municipal Code Title 3 REVENUE
AND FINANCE Municipal Code Title 4 RESERVED Municipal Code Title 5 BUSINESS LICENSES AND REGULATIONS Municipal Code Title 6 ANIMALS
Municipal Code Title 7 RESERVED Municipal Code Title 8 HEALTH
AND SAFETY Municipal Code Title 9 PUBLIC
PEACE AND WELFARE Municipal Code Title 10 VEHICLES
AND TRAFFIC Municipal Code Title 11
FRANCHISES Municipal Code Title 12 STREETS,
SIDEWALKS AND PUBLIC PLACES
Municipal Code Title 13 PUBLIC SERVICES
Municipal Code Title 14 RESERVED
Municipal Code Title 15 BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION
Municipal Code Title 16 DEVELOPMENT CODE21
enables the basis for development.
specific regulations and codes
Organization of the city City departments
Administrative Service Human Resources Animal Services
Library City Attorney
Municipal Utilities City Clerk
Public Works City Manager
Recreation Community Development
Stockton Fire
/ /
County and city departments are public service
agencies.
21 Stockton Municipal Codes (n.d.). Retrieved December 1st, 2014, from http://qcode.us/codes/stockton/
Community Services Stockton Police
Economic Development
Organized crime* Organizations/ Gangs
Eurasian Organized Crime Mexican Drug Trafficking
Organizations Marijuana Drug Trafficking
Organizations
Familiarity with the gangs and their activities;
Acknowledgement of their existence, not denial
Although white DTOs currently dominate indoor marijuana garden production
throughout California, law enforcement
reports indicate that Asian DTOs operating
indoor marijuana gardens are becoming increasingly common
and human trafficking. The main criminal activities of EOC groups in the state are medical
fraud, financial fraud, and auto theft.
Mexican DTOs are increasing their involvement in
human smuggling, arms trafficking, home invasion robberies, and
ransom kidnappings to supplement
declining drug trade income.1
Pending legislation Recent and new measures in City Council/on ballot
Measure B has been recently passed, which mandates the city to use a recent tax increase to fund better security services and bankruptcy exit. Measure C, a revision of the
City Charter, amending the Mayor’s compensation and delegating the
determination of the City Manager’s spending authority to the City
Council, has been passed in a fall
More flexible and effective governance through passed
measures and quicker bankruptcy exit. Increased
energy efficiency through the Climate Action Plan.
Higher upfront costs to install more energy
efficient solutions, the tax increase may hurt
business.
/
2014 election.22 The state-mandated Climate Action Plan for Stockton has
been approved in December 2014, with some measures that will affect private businesses and residents as
well. However, it is predicted to have an overall positive net effect on
Stockton23
Property tax Tax rate
As of June 2014, the effective property tax rate in Stockton was 10.77 dollars per 1000 dollars of
home value. This compares favorably with the United States
average of 12.07 dollars.24 However, some cities in California have a
lower effective rate, such as Glendale, at 8.22 dollars.25
Additional measures that are levied along with the state-
controlled tax could potentially be lowered.
California residents and local officials have virtually no control
over the distribution of property tax revenue to
local governments. Instead, all major
decisions regarding property tax allocation are controlled by the
state.
Using low property taxes as a metric of
business friendliness in California is a
complicated matter. The market value of properties generally increases faster than the 2% p/a tax-base
increase. Furthermore, the tax rate adjusts with the market value only
when the property is sold or when the market value dips
below the tax base.26 Therefore, the longer a property does not change owners, the lower the effective property tax rate, as the effective rate is calculated based on
current market values.
22 City of Stockton (2014). Ballot Measures 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014, from http://www.stocktongov.com/government/departments/clerk/balMeasures.html 23 City of Stockton (2014). Climate Action Plan. Retrieved December 16, 2014, from http://www.stocktongov.com/government/boardCom/clim.html 24 Sperling’s Best Places (n.d.). Housing in Stockton, California. Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://www.bestplaces.net/housing/city/california/stockton 25 Sperling’s Best Places (n.d.). Housing in Glendale, California. Retrieved December 15, 2014, from http://www.bestplaces.net/housing/city/california/glendale 26 Legislative Analyst’s Office (2012). Understanding California’s Property Taxes. Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2012/tax/property-tax-primer-112912.aspx
Additional measures that are levied along with the property tax amount to around ten percent of the tax.27 The market value of the property has the largest impact on the amount of property
tax levied. CHARACTERISTICS FUNCTIONING
Justice* Judicial Council of California
The Judicial Council is the policymaking body of the California courts, the largest court system in the nation. In accordance with the California
Constitution, the council is responsible for ensuring the consistent, independent, impartial, and accessible administration of justice. Judicial
Council staff implements the council’s policies. The Judicial Council acts as a governing body for the judicial branch to
ensure the statewide administration of justice by supporting the California courts and assisting them to provide equal and timely access to an independent and impartial justice system. It establishes judicial branch policy for the improvement of an independent and impartial justice system that meets public needs and enhances public trust and
confidence in the courts.28
The Judicial Council develops judicial branch goals in its strategic and operational plans. At six-year intervals, the council develops and
approves a long-range strategic plan. At three-year intervals, the council develops and approves an operational plan for the implementation of the
strategic plan.
*State level
27 Legislative Analyst’s Office (2012). Understanding California’s Property Taxes. Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2012/tax/property-tax-primer-112912.aspx 28 Judicial Council Governance Policies (2008). Judicial Council of California. Retrieved from http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/appendix_d.pdf