Limited VolunteerLocal Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCOs) are state-mandated regulatory agencies established by the Legislature in 1963. LAFCOs were created to help implement State policy of encouraging orderly growth and development through the regulation of local public agency boundaries. This daunting task requires each Commission to balance the development required for a growing population with the competing State interests of discouraging urban sprawl, preserving agricultural resources and open space and extending government services efficiently. Each of California’s 58 counties has a LAFCO, however, they are independent of county government. Riverside LAFCO generally has jurisdiction over changes in boundaries of local agencies (cities and special districts) within Riverside County. For more information on the origins of LAFCO, see the Background section of this site.