Municipal Service Reviews and Spheres of Influence
The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (CKH) requires Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCOs) to conduct comprehensive reviews of all municipal services in each county in California and to periodically update that information. The purpose of the Municipal Service Reviews (MSR) is to gather detailed information on public service capacities and issues.
The CKH requires LAFCOs to develop and determine the Sphere of Influence (SOI) for each applicable local governmental agency that provides services or facilities related to development. Government Code Section 56076 defines a SOI as “a plan for the probable physical boundaries and service area of a local agency.” MSRs must be completed prior to the establishment or update of SOIs (§56430(a)). SOIs must be reviewed and updated as necessary, but not less than once every five years (§56425).
The information and determinations contained in an MSR are intended to guide and inform SOI decisions. Service reviews enable LAFCO to determine SOI boundaries and to establish the most efficient service provider for areas needing new service. They also function as the basis for other government reorganizations. Section 56430, as noted above, states that LAFCO can conduct these reviews “before, in conjunction with, but no later than the time it is considering an action to establish a SOI.”
Cities
city-of-escalon-msr---soi-update.pdfMountain House 2025 MSR Update 2025-04-18.pdfcity-of-lodi-municipal-service-review-and-sphere-of-influence-update-2022.pdfcity-of-manteca-msr---soi-update.pdfripon---may-2018.pdfstockton---august-2020.pdftracy---july-2019.pdfTracy MSR_5-25Update_Subarea1 05282025@1441 (jdh).pdfcity-of-lathrop-msr---soi-update-2022.pdf