About
Founded in 1972, RCRC works with its member counties to advocate on behalf of rural issues at the state and federal levels. RCRC provides the rural county perspective on a myriad of issues such as land use, water and natural resources, housing, transportation, wildfire protection policies, and health and human services, among others during legislative and regulatory representation. The core of RCRC’s mission is to improve the ability of small, rural California county government to provide services by reducing the burden of state and federal mandates and promoting a greater understanding among policy makers about the unique challenges that face California's small population counties.
The RCRC Board of Directors is comprised of a member of the Board of Supervisors from each of its thirty one-member counties. RCRC staff work in partnership with the Board of Directors to deliver a rural perspective when legislation and regulations are being formulated in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento. Our efforts help enhance and protect the quality of life in California’s small and rural counties.
Rural Counties: The "Face" of Government
Counties are government partners with our state and federal counterparts. Unlike the state or federal government, however, counties are local government bodies that have direct relationships with who they represent. Rural counties, in particular, are on the front lines in providing a full range of services that are the "nuts and bolts" of representative democracy and service delivery such as holding elections, maintaining roads, operating jails, managing solid and hazardous waste, and administering health and human service programs. And rural counties continue to provide these services while facing tighter budgets and increased responsibilities.
Why Rural Advocacy?
The term "rural" may be defined in various ways: population density, population size, demographics or economic data. However you define it, rural counties face unique challenges when putting federal and state policies into effect. The greater distances, lower population densities, and geographic diversity of RCRC's thirty one-member counties create obstacles not faced by their more urban or suburban counterparts. For those reasons, "one-size-fits-all" policies don't work, especially when the "size" typically is a more metropolitan model.