Throughout the recent election season, Californians have been hearing – and making their voices heard – about the need for change at the federal level.

Far less frequent, however, is discussion about the need for change in how Californians are governed at the state level. I strongly believe that any debate about the state budget must include fundamental reforms that will free cities and counties from Sacramento's inefficiencies and greatly expand decision-making authority to our local elected officials.

No one can deny that California government has become ever more centralized and dysfunctional. For the past 40 years, state government has accumulated political and economic power well beyond what is necessary or desirable from the vantage point of local control and individual freedom.

We must never forget that the more government is centralized at the state level, the more freedom is limited at the local level.

By its very nature, state centralization creates a culture of dependency upon our citizens and our local governance structure that is rigid, unresponsive and ultimately far more expensive for the taxpayer. Whenever and wherever state power expands, local control and individual liberty contract.

Furthermore, it separates the decision-makers from direct public access and accountability, and invites more bureaucracy-driven rules and regulations that burden our lives and businesses.

State centralization of power also hinders our ability to create wealth. The Fords, the Wright brothers and other visionaries of our great nation were once allowed to soar, creating countless jobs, hope and opportunity through personal initiative and hard work. Today, if someone makes a profit and creates wealth by creating jobs, he or she is "rewarded" by state government over-regulation and higher taxes, and a litigation environment that may force him out of business.

Local government is a far better guarantor of individual and family freedom. Why? Because it is far better suited to genuine citizen participation. Local government empowerment allows for local problems to be solved with local, common-sense solutions conceived and concluded by individuals and elected officials working together to achieve common goals – and not by faceless, indifferent and ever-more-expensive layers of bureaucracy located hours or hundreds of miles away.

Today, local agencies and taxpayers are losing money to Sacramento bureaucracies, when instead they should have more money returned to them to fund vital services that meet unique local needs. Local agencies are best suited to decide where taxpayers' money is spent, and when subjected to strict oversight by taxpayer watchdog groups and everyday citizens, can save the taxpayers and the state budget millions by doing more with less.

Unfortunately, "decentralizing Sacramento" and restoring both power and primacy to local governments will not occur overnight. It will only be achieved one difficult step at a time.

If the California Legislature put as much effort into restoring the principles and prerogatives of local government as it has into promoting dependency upon state government and increasing funding for state entitlements, the cost of state government could be significantly reduced, helping to balance the state budget while reducing our tax burden. Government would become leaner and more accountable, and individual freedom would expand.

California should change direction and give local government more control over our tax dollars, law enforcement, land-use decisions and our local schools, while simultaneously relieving pressure on the state budget.

Local control, together with strong taxpayer protections like Propositions 13 and 218 are the certain prescription for our ailing state government.

Together, we can cut the state strings one string at a time.

Dan Logue, a Marysville Republican, represents the 3rd Assembly District.