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California JPIA Celebrates 30^th Anniversary of Gateway Cities Council of Governments

Serving 27 cities, 11 unincorporated communities, and over two million residents across southeast Los Angeles County, the Gateway Cities Council of Governments (Gateway Cities or COG) represents more than five percent of California’s population. If consolidated as a single municipality, the subregion would rank as the fifth-largest city in the United States. As Gateway Cities celebrates its 30th anniversary, its decade-long partnership with the California JPIA continues to support regional collaboration, workforce training, and administrative resilience.

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Gateway Cities focuses on regional transportation, housing and homelessness, environmental policy, economic development, and health and wellness. Executive Director Hector De La Torre emphasized how regional cooperation allows local governments to deliver essential services without overextending municipal resources. “The mission of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments is very simple: to improve the quality of life of our residents,” he said. “We achieve this through collaboration with our city leadership: both councilmembers and city managers. Our collaboration brings resources into the community without stressing their organizations, while continuing our direct support for our cities.”

Gateway Cities joined the California JPIA in 1998 as part of the primary liability and workers’ compensation programs. As an administrative body that leases office facilities, Gateway Cities’ direct risk exposure differs from traditional municipal entities. Therefore, their collaboration with Authority staff focuses on workplace safety, employment practices, and employee training.

Additionally, with approximately half of the 27 member cities participating in the California JPIA pool, Gateway Cities serves as a vital forum for addressing broader municipal liability issues.

“As more of an administrative body, the COG does not have the same municipal exposures as most of the Authority’s members,” said De La Torre. “That said, we still are very engaged, especially as it relates to training. We are very attuned to the issues of municipal liability and how they impact our cities’ ability to deliver services to their constituents.”

This regional perspective was demonstrated during municipal discussions surrounding tort reform and Senate Bill 577. “Gateway Cities did not take a position on the bill,” said De La Torre. “However, we were certainly a forum where our cities could talk about and share the impacts that joint and several liability has on cities’ budgets, and ultimately, their ability to keep our communities safe and prosperous.”

As Gateway Cities enters its fourth decade, the organization is expanding regional programs that directly support residents, including energy efficiency, shelter assistance, legal support, workforce training, and public health initiatives.

The COG is also overseeing the largest capital initiative in its history: a $104 million fiber optic network connecting 24 city halls to California’s middle-mile infrastructure. Scheduled for completion in early 2027, the project will provide high-speed connectivity and dual-directional redundancy for municipal operations. “We bring the resources, and our cities decide how to best use them to benefit residents,” said De La Torre.

The California JPIA congratulates Gateway Cities on 30 years of dedicated service to southeast Los Angeles County and its member communities.

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