Editing Palmdale, California (section)

==Government==

===Local government===
Palmdale is a [[Charter city|Charter City]] governed under the [[Local Government|council]] / [[City manager|manager]] form of local [[government]]. Beginning with the November 2016 election, the City Council was subjected to districting, with councilmembers were selected from each of 4 districts. The [[mayor]] is elected at-large every two years for a two-year term. Every two years, two of the four district [[councillors|council members]] are elected to serve four-year terms. Palmdale does not have term limits for council and mayor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov/440/City-Charter#:~:text=Palmdale+is+a+Charter+City,will+be+elected+in+2022).|title=City Charter &#124; Palmdale, CA|website=www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov|access-date=July 1, 2024|archive-date=May 2, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502081227/https://cityofpalmdaleca.gov/440/City-Charter#:~:text=Palmdale+is+a+Charter+City,will+be+elected+in+2022).|url-status=live}}</ref> Its mayor is [[Steve Hofbauer]].

The City Council appoints the City Manager and City Attorney.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov/304/City-Council|title=City Council &#124; Palmdale, CA|website=www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov|access-date=September 15, 2023|archive-date=October 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005042125/https://www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov/304/City-Council|url-status=live}}</ref>

The city also has an appointed Planning Commission divided into four separate districts. The Planning Commission was organized to help with the planning, zoning, and development of various city areas in different districts and to give the residents of those particular districts a greater voice in local land use decisions. There is also an appointed Board of Library Trustees, and Youth Council.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cityofpalmdaleca.gov/284/Planning-Commission|title=Planning Commission &#124; Palmdale, CA|website=cityofpalmdaleca.gov|access-date=September 15, 2023|archive-date=October 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005042125/https://cityofpalmdaleca.gov/284/Planning-Commission|url-status=live}}</ref>

On November 3, 2009, local residents voted in favor of a measure to change Palmdale's general law city status to that of a Charter city. This allowed Palmdale to draft a city charter and constitution, enabling it to make more decisions at the local level without interference or rules from the [[California|state]] government.<ref>Merl, Jean (July 12, 2014) [http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-palmdale-voting-20140713-story.html "Palmdale continues lonely fight against Voting Rights Act"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715223008/http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-palmdale-voting-20140713-story.html |date=July 15, 2014 }} ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''</ref>

Palmdale has animal services, Palmdale Animal Care Center.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/|title=Los Angeles County Animal Care & Control|website=LA County Animal Care & Control}}</ref>

===Municipal services===
The city provides a number of municipal services, including a Planning Department, Economic Development Department, Building and Safety Department, Public Works Department, Parks and Recreation Department, and Library Department. The city also operates the [[Palmdale Transportation Center]] which serves as the hub for public transit services including [[Metrolink (California)|Metrolink]] trains, [[Antelope Valley Transit Authority]], [[Amtrak Thruway]], and [[Greyhound Lines]]. Palmdale was selected as a stop for the [[California High-Speed Rail]] system that will link northern and southern California.<ref>Vartabedian, Ralph (June 30, 2014) [http://www.latimes.com/local/countygovernment/la-me-bullet-strategy-shift-20140701-story.html "Burbank-Palmdale segment added to bullet train timetable"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220220133/http://www.latimes.com/local/countygovernment/la-me-bullet-strategy-shift-20140701-story.html |date=February 20, 2017 }} ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''</ref> City officials have formed the Palmdale Airport Authority, as they pursue regional air service from a joint use facility at USAF Plant 42.

Recreation and cultural services include the Palmdale City Library,<ref>{{cite web|title=Palmdale City Library|url=http://www.cityofpalmdale.org/library/|website=City of Palmdale|access-date=September 5, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100919063722/http://cityofpalmdale.org/library/|archive-date=September 19, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Legacy Commons, Larry Chimbole Cultural Center, Palmdale Playhouse and Art Gallery, [[Dry Town Water Park]], Palmdale Amphitheater, Best of the West Softball Complex, Hammack Activity Center, [[Dry Town Water Park|Palmdale Oasis Park Recreation Center]], Marie Kerr Park Recreation Center, [[Joe Davies Heritage Airpark]] at Palmdale Plant 42, and four swimming pools.

===Public safety===
The city is policed by the [[Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department]] under a formal contract with the [[Los Angeles County, California|County of Los Angeles]] and has its municipal judicial system intertwined with the [[Superior Courts of California|Los Angeles County Superior Court]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov/263/Law-Enforcement|title=Law Enforcement &#124; Palmdale, CA|website=www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov}}</ref>

The [[Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department]] (LASD) operates the Palmdale Station in Palmdale.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lasd.org/stations/for1/palmdale/index.html |title=Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. - Palmdale Station |access-date=March 21, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100331010006/http://www.lasd.org/stations/for1/palmdale/index.html |archive-date=March 31, 2010 }}</ref> Palmdale has the largest Sheriff's Station in Los Angeles County. Palmdale's innovative Partners Against Crime (PAC) Program, a cooperative effort between law enforcement, landlords and community members, has successfully focused on quality of life issues and crime suppression, reducing the crime rate annually. Recently, the Partners for a Better Palmdale program was initiated by the City Council, to further engage residents, schools, community groups and law enforcement in improving community quality of life.<ref name="LAT 2021-02-25">{{Cite news|last=Miller|first=Leila|date=February 25, 2021|title=Sheriff's Department reform in Antelope Valley has lagged for years, court monitors say|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-02-25/la-me-antelope-valley-settlement-agreement-progress|access-date=February 26, 2021|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|archive-date=February 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225190907/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-02-25/la-me-antelope-valley-settlement-agreement-progress|url-status=live}}</ref> The city pioneered the use of municipal Community Service Officers for low level incidents to free up Deputies for higher priority matters, and employ high-tech tools, such as Automated License Plate Recognition Systems on patrol cars, to increase officer productivity.

[[File:Palmdale Hospital.jpg|thumb|Palmdale Regional Medical Center handles the city's medical services.]]

The city is served by the [[Los Angeles County Fire Department]] for its fire and paramedic services through the Consolidated Fire Protection District. Palmdale downtown Station #37 is one of the busiest fire stations in the United States. Two new fire stations went into service in late 2008 on the east and west sides of Palmdale.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov/Directory.aspx?did=101|title=Staff Directory • Los Angeles County Fire Department (LAFD)|website=www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov|access-date=September 15, 2023|archive-date=October 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005042126/https://www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov/Directory.aspx?did=101|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Public utilities===
Utility services within the city are provided by several public and private agencies. Water service is primarily provided by Palmdale Water District (separate public agency) and Los Angeles County Waterworks (part of the County Public Works); sewer service is provided by the County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (separate public agency, with City Council members on district board); electrical service is provided by [[Southern California Edison]]; natural gas service is provided by [[Southern California Gas]]; [[cable television]] service is provided by [[Time Warner Cable]]; telephone service is provided by [[AT&T Inc.|AT&T]] and [[Frontier Communications|Frontier]]; refuse pickup and disposal service is provided by [[Waste Management, Inc]] of the Antelope Valley under a franchise agreement with the city. The city successfully licensed and sold permits for a hybrid natural gas and steam turbine power facility and its operator is awaiting state approval of amendments to begin construction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/palmdale/|title=Palmdale Energy Project (Formerly Palmdale Hybrid Power Project), Licensing Case – Docket # 2008-AFC-09|first=California Energy|last=Commission|website=Energy.ca.gov|access-date=November 6, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107055153/http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/palmdale/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===County representation===
The [[Los Angeles County Department of Health Services]] operates the Antelope Valley Health Center in [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]], serving Palmdale.<ref>"[http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phn/docs/HealthCenter/antelopevalley.pdf Antelope Valley Health Center] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527190421/http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phn/docs/HealthCenter/antelopevalley.pdf |date=May 27, 2010 }}." [[Los Angeles County Department of Health Services]]. Retrieved on March 18, 2010.</ref>

In the [[Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors]], Palmdale is in the 5th District, represented by [[Kathryn Barger]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kathrynbarger.lacounty.gov/the-5th-district/|title=Supervisor Kathryn Barger &#124; The 5th District|access-date=January 16, 2022|archive-date=December 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207181855/https://kathrynbarger.lacounty.gov/the-5th-district/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===State and federal representation===
In the [[California State Senate]], Palmdale is in {{Representative|casd|23|fmt=sdistrict}}. In the [[California State Assembly]], it is split between {{Representative|caad|34|fmt=adistrict}}, and {{Representative|caad|39|fmt=adistrict}}.<ref>{{Cite web
 | url = http://statewidedatabase.org/gis/gis2011/index_2011.html
 | title = Statewide Database
 | publisher = UC Regents
 | access-date = October 16, 2014
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150201113744/http://statewidedatabase.org/gis/gis2011/index_2011.html
 | archive-date = February 1, 2015
| url-status = dead
 }}</ref>

In the [[United States House of Representatives]], Palmdale is in {{Representative|cacd|27|fmt=district}}.<ref>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|25}}</ref>