THE BUZZ: SECESSION — Hundreds of city leaders are in Sacramento today to unite over common concerns. But down south, their ranks are splintering. At least five conservative-leaning city councils in southern California have voted in recent months to leave the League of California Cities, parting ways with a powerful municipal lobbying arm in Sacramento over policy disputes. The protest is a small revolt in a 126-year-old organization that boasts more than 470 members, but reflects an increasingly polarized political environment — one where even local governments, which have typically been united over less sensitive issues, are now divided. Since last month, the Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Orange and Yorba Linda city councils have all voted to leave CalCities, criticizing the group for siding with state Democrats in trying to undercut a tax reform push by business groups and for supporting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mental health and homelessness measure, Prop 1. “I’m certainly disappointed,” said Carolyn Coleman, executive director and CEO of CalCities. “At the end of the day, I believe that we are stronger — and I also believe their cities have the opportunity to be stronger — by us working together.” For decades, the league has served as a way to consolidate the power of cities and fight for their interests in Sacramento. It’s a particular benefit to smaller cities, which unlike Los Angeles or San Francisco, don’t have the resources to lobby alone in the capital. "I do think that opting out, in some ways, diminishes your clout," San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said. "You're better off advocating and organizing from within to sort of shape the positions that organization takes, because we have a lot in common as cities." But a growing number of cities, many in Orange County, are giving up their membership in protest, saying the group no longer represents their interests or advocates for them. Yorba Linda, along with Orange, had already paid its membership dues for the year, CalCities said, but Mayor Pro Tem Beth Haney, who led the departure, said the council no longer considers itself part of the league. "It is sending a message — along with the other cities that are disappointed," she said. Similar complaints came out of Santa Clarita, Redondo Beach and Torrance last year. The cities left the organization after complaining that the group had failed to support local control measures around land use. Redondo Beach and Torrance later rejoined. Coleman said CalCities has a process to develop policies that is “extremely inclusive” — starting with committees focused on specific topics that make recommendations to the board. "Not everyone, all the time, will get every single issue or position that they would want if they were individuals,” she said. Some conservative council members, like Erik Weigand in Newport Beach, voted to stay in the league, arguing some representation is better than none at all. But in an interview with Playbook, Weigand said he shares his colleagues’ concerns and hopes the departure is a wakeup call. "Maybe it will make the league pay attention, and make the league recognize that cities are frustrated that they're not listening to them,” he said. There are other avenues for representation for those looking for alternatives — including the Association of California Cities - Orange County — but they don’t have the same reach as CalCities, Weigand noted. Coleman, the head of the league, said they are still engaging with the recently-departed members and hope to bring them back in the future. But for those like Haney, they don’t see a path to reconciliation at this time. "Next year, it's highly likely that we will not rejoin," she said. — with help from Julia Marsh GOOD MORNING. Happy Friday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Now you can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte. WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. | 
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