CITY OF GROVER BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 11
Placement: Business
Meeting Date: September 28, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Kristin Eriksson, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Consideration of Council Positions on November 2026 Statewide Ballot Measures
RECOMMENDATION
Receive a report on November 2026 statewide ballot measures with positions taken by the League of California Cities and provide direction to staff on whether the Council should take official positions on the measures.
BACKGROUND
In March 2023, the Council adopted the City’s first Legislative Platform which outlines the City’s positions on priority issues that impact City operations. The Platform was then updated by the Council each year, most recently in January 2026, as shown in Attachment 1. Generally, the Platform is designed to authorize the City Manager to take positions on legislation that are consistent with the platform to allow for quick response communications, through opposition or support letters, to legislators when time is of the essence. However, the Platform requires that the City Council maintain sole authority to establish an initial position for any proposed legislation that would result in the matter coming before voters as a statewide ballot measure.
There are two statewide ballot measures included in the November 2026 election with positions taken by the League of California Cities (Cal Cities) as described below for the Council’s consideration of potential City positions:
Proposition 1
Proposition 1 authorizes $11.25 billion in state general obligation bonds for housing affordability programs, including multifamily rental housing, mortgages for veterans, supportive housing, preservation of existing affordable housing and downpayment insurance. Cal Cities supports this proposition and the Council’s adopted multi-year goals include Economic Development and Housing as shown in the Council Goals in Attachment 2.
Proposition 43
Proposition 43 limits voters’ ability to pass citizen-proposed local special taxes by increasing the required percentage of votes to pass such a measure from a simple majority to a two-thirds vote, beginning January 2027. The recent countywide effort by a citizens group to place a half-percent transportation sales tax on the November ballot (which did not advance given a technical petition Staff Report: Positions on November 2026 Statewide Ballot Measures Page 2 September 28, 2026
error) is an example of such a citizen-proposed tax measure. Cal Cities opposes this proposition and the Council’s adopted multi-year goals include Financial and Organizational Sustainability, which could be impacted by such a measure. Also, the City’s Legislative Platform opposes legislation that increases the threshold for voters to pass new or increased state or local taxes needed to fund local services and infrastructure.
Other ballot measures which do not appear to directly impact City operations may be found on the Secretary of State’s webpage: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/qualifiedballot-measures.
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no funding impacts to this staff report.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1. Receive a report on November 2026 statewide ballot measures with positions taken by the League of California Cities and provide direction to staff on whether the Council should take official positions on the measures; or
2. Provide alternative direction to staff.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2026 Legislative Platform
2. FY 2026-27 Council Goals
Multi-Year Goals
☐ Public Safety and Community Services ☒ Economic Development and Housing ☐ Community Infrastructure ☒ Financial and Organization Sustainability Council Priorities
☐ Water & Wastewater Infrastructure ☐ Community Engagement ☐ Street Improvements and Maintenance
City of Grover Beach
2026 Legislative Platform
Approved by City Council January 26, 2026
Attachment 1
Contents
SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1
1.1 General Purpose ............................................................................................................1
1.2 Authority .........................................................................................................................1
1.2.1 Adoption. .................................................................................................................1
1.2.2 City Manager Authority............................................................................................1
1.2.3 Limit to City Manager Authority. ..............................................................................1
1.3 Distribution......................................................................................................................1 SECTION 2 – GENERAL GOVERNMENT ...................................................................................1
2.1 Local Control ..................................................................................................................1 SECTION 3 – LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE........................................................................2 SECTION 4 – PUBLIC Safety.......................................................................................................2
4.1 Emergency Response ....................................................................................................2
4.2 Crime Reduction.............................................................................................................2
4.3 Victim’s Rights ................................................................................................................3 SECTION 5 – TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.........................................................3
5.1 General Infrastructure.....................................................................................................3
5.2 Transportation...................................................................................................................3 SECTION 6 – RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................3
6.1 Water Resiliency.............................................................................................................3
6.2 Organic Waste Disposal .................................................................................................3 SECTION 7 – COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.............................................................................3
7.1 Housing and Homelessness...........................................................................................3
7.2 Commercial Cannabis ....................................................................................................4
7.3 Travel and Tourism.........................................................................................................4 1 SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION
1.1 General Purpose
The City of Grover Beach Legislative Platform (Platform) is adopted to formalize Council priorities and allow for expedient promotion of the City’s interests in legislative matters.
The Platform is designed to guide the Council and staff in taking appropriate action on legislative proposals and actions in the State and Federal governments.
1.2 Authority
1.2.1 Adoption - The Platform is developed with input from all City departments and is adopted by the City Council annually.
1.2.2 City Manager Authority – The City Manager or designee may take actions to support or oppose proposed legislation without prior approval of the City Council when consistent with the platform, provided that the City Council may set or change the City’s established position on any specific legislation even it inconsistent with this Platform’s general position.
1.2.3 Limit to City Manager Authority – The City Council will maintain sole authority to establish an initial position for any proposed legislation that would result in the matter coming before voters as a statewide ballot measure, such as California constitutional amendments, a statewide bond measure, or a measure amending a previously-approved statewide ballot measure.
1.3 Distribution
Upon the Council’s annual approval, the Legislative Platform shall be distributed to California’s U.S. Senators, U.S. Congressmembers, as well as all California State Constitutional offices representing the City, all California State Senator(s) and Assemblymember(s) representing the City, the National League of Cities and the League of California Cities.
SECTION 2 – GENERAL GOVERNMENT
2.1 Local Control
• Support legislation that enhances local control for various permitting, land use, contracting and discretionary actions and allows cities to address the needs of local communities within a framework of regional cooperation
• Oppose legislation that preempts local authority and impedes the City’s ability to address community needs.
• Oppose legislation that imposes unfunded or insufficiently funded mandates by the State.
2 SECTION 3 – LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE
• Support legislation that protects, increases and/or modernizes revenue streams for local priorities.
• Support legislation to provide full and prompt reimbursement to all local agencies for all state-mandated programs and/or infractions and losses associated with local revenue shifts.
• Support legislation that creates streamlined and less competitive funding opportunities for cities with smaller budgets, geographical size and population, such as the City. • Support legislation that fully funds positions in State and Federal agencies that can accelerate the prompt administration of funding and reimbursements from those agencies to the City.
• Support legislation that sustains funding for grants awarded by the State or Federal government.
Support legislation that extends operations at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant and reinstates the unitary tax previously applied to the DCPP or provides for alternative financial mitigation for the region
• Oppose legislation that mandates new duties, responsibilities or obligations to a City under state realignment.
• Oppose legislation that increases the threshold for voters to pass new or increased state or local taxes needed to fund local services and infrastructure. • Oppose legislation that eliminates or restricts control of or creates barriers to the City’s revenue sources.
• Oppose legislation that restricts the City’s ability to contract for goods or services or otherwise increases costs of contracting for goods or services.
SECTION 4 – PUBLIC SAFETY
4.1 Emergency Response
• Support legislation to provide funding for disaster prevention efforts, emergency response planning, and training and equipment for response and recovery efforts. • Support legislation to develop and implement statewide-integrated public safety communication systems.
4.2 Crime Reduction
• Support legislation to allow for greater crime reduction in the community. • Support legislation to add fentanyl to the list of illegal substances subject to the existing weight enhancements for criminal sentencing.
3 4.3 Victim’s Rights
• Support legislation increasing the rights of victims of crimes.
SECTION 5 – TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS
5.1 General Infrastructure
• Support legislation providing funding for revolving loan fund programs to assist with financing capital costs of infrastructure improvements, including facility replacements. • Support legislation to expedite project delivery processes and expand project delivery methods for use by all cities for facilities and infrastructure. • Support legislation that secures state and federal fees and taxes originally programmed for roadway repairs, highway congestion management and transportation improvement projects.
• Oppose legislation that slows, impairs or eliminates funding for public infrastructure.
5.2 Transportation
• Oppose legislation that increases the maximum allowable truck weights and/or allowing longer, multi-trailer trucks.
SECTION 6 – RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
6.1 Water Resiliency
• Support legislation and administrative actions that provide funding or grant programs for energy and water efficiency improvements.
• Support legislation that provides funding for key water supply and infrastructure grant and loan programs.
6.2 Organic Waste Disposal
• Support legislation that provides additional funding or other assistance to implement organic waste disposal requirements.
• Support legislation providing funding for smaller cities to pursue carbon neutral solutions.
SECTION 7 – COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
7.1 Housing and Homelessness
• Support legislation to streamline all types of housing development while protecting the City’s permitting, fees and regulatory processes.
• Support legislation to providing funding mechanisms for infrastructure needed for housing development.
4 • Support legislation providing funding for homeless services and shelter projects and operations.
• Support legislation to allow the City more flexibility in creating shelters and temporary and permanent housing.
• Support legislation to provide funding for cleanup efforts as a result of homeless encampments.
7.2 Commercial Cannabis
• Support legislation that provides for reforms of regulatory barriers to the legal cannabis industry
• Support legislation that allows for the sale of food and non-alcoholic drinks at cannabis retailers that permit onsite consumption of cannabis products.
7.3 Travel and Tourism
• Oppose legislation that would reduce or eliminate online travel agencies or platforms from collecting and remitting Transient Occupancy Tax to local jurisdictions.
Council Goals
GROVERBEACH.ORG
Public Safety and
Community
Services
Provide a range of
services that foster
a sense of safety,
enjoyment and well
being for
community
members.
Economic
Development and
Housing
Support business
attraction and
retention,
revitalization of
commercial areas,
and development of
housing
opportunities.
Community
Infrastructure
Provide for long
range planning and
well-maintained
infrastructure,
including streets,
water and sewer,
sidewalks, City
facilities and parks.
Financial and
Organization
Sustainability
Ensure fiscal
responsibility,
operational viability
and promote a
culture of
innovation and
customer service.
Attachment 2
FY 2026-27 Priorities
2 Vision
Goals
Priorities
Water and Sewer Infrastructure & Needed Resources
• Plan for the future
• Ensure appropriate funding levels
• Address aging infrastructure
• Educate the community
Community Engagement, Rebuilding Community Trust and Civility in Public Discourse
• Provide education to the community
• Use various methods of communication
• Proactively initiate communication
• Broaden the audience for City communications
Street Improvements and Maintenance
• Continue progress on residential street improvements
• Maintain already-improved residential streets