Local governance struggles including municipal incorporations and annexations have been the subjects of public debates on metropolitan area administrations and their effects on land use, urban services and quality of life issues for area residents. Central to this work is one such governance struggle that took place in California s Goleta Valley. Goleta lies in the sun drenched southern California coastline. It remained a large densely populated unincorporated area. Casting a shadow on the Valley s identity was its glamorous neighbor, the City of Santa Barbara. Since 1970, one annexation proposal and three different incorporation referendums were defeated at the polls. Using the research strategy of case study, this book focuses on the final local effort that resulted in cityhood for Goleta. The research findings reveal varying levels of support for separate incorporation theories.

In contrast to the theorization of a single strong motive, the case reveals that the proponents in fact have multiple equally strong motives. In the Goleta case ground politics and funding resources played a significant role in making the initiative a success.