DATE: January 18, 2022
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT: Legislative Program: Adopt a Resolution Updating the City of Hayward’s Legislative Program
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) updating the City’s Legislative Program.
SUMMARY
In July 2017, the Council adopted the City’s first formal Legislative Program designed to inform interested parties of the City’s stances on: state and federal budgets, legislation, and regulations; state-wide referenda; ballot measures; and government grant opportunities. The Legislative Program is based on two foundational general principles: (1) enhancing and preserving revenue sources; and (2) maintaining home rule authority as well as Council’s priorities defined in the annual strategic priorities retreat. To prepare the update to the Legislative Program (Attachment III), City staff supporting the program coordinated with internal subject matter experts, reviewed the Strategic Roadmap documents, and consulted with the City’s legislative advocates. The update to the Legislative Program incorporates two new policy areas: Immigration and Voting Rights. The program updates also reflect the prioritization of COVID-19 recovery and racial equity in the City’s work.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
In July 2017, the Council adopted the City’s first formal Legislative Program designed to inform interested parties of the City’s stances on state and federal budgets, legislation, and regulations; state-wide referenda; ballot measures; and government grant opportunities. The Legislative Program provides direction to staff and the City’s legislative advocates in Washington D.C. and Sacramento, and it serves as the foundation for any action taken by the City regarding legislation, regulations, referenda, and ballot measures.
The Legislative Program is based on two foundational general principles: (1) enhancing and preserving revenue sources and (2) maintaining home rule authority. Additionally, the Legislative Program outlines general subject areas in which the City will take a position on pending and existing public policy. In the original document, these subject areas are identified in six (6) broad categories: Public Safety, Transportation and Infrastructure, Environmental Sustainability, Finance and Human Resources, Community and Economic Development, and Educational, Neighborhood, and Social Services. Staff regularly works with the City’s legislative advocates and State and Federal representatives to advance the goals laid out in the Legislative Program.
To prepare the update to the Legislative Program (Attachment III), City staff supporting the program coordinated with internal subject matter experts, reviewed the Strategic Roadmap documents, and consulted with the City’s legislative advocates.
The update to the Legislative Program incorporates two new policy areas: Immigration and Voting Rights. The program updates also reflect the prioritization of COVID-19 recovery and racial equity in the City’s work.
Immigration
The inclusion of Immigration as an area of policy concern in the Hayward Legislative Program is in line with the City’s commitment to ensuring continued protection and quality of life for all community members, the 2017 Sanctuary City declaration, and the maintenance of the City’s Home Rule Authority.
The changes made to the Hayward Legislative Program to include Immigration as an area of policy concern would state that the City do the following:
Support legislation that promotes the health and well-being, removes barriers to health services and economic success, fosters civic engagement, and streamlines integration for immigrants and immigrant families; Support DACA and any legislation that protects undocumented children; Support legislation that funds education and outreach efforts for hard to count populations, such as immigrants and limited English speakers during the U.S. Census; and, Oppose federal regulations or proposals that would withhold funding as a penalty for noncompliance with federal immigration policies.
COVID-19 Recovery
The Hayward Legislative Program has been updated to reflect the need to prioritize COVID-19 relief, as continued federal and state relief funding will be necessary for the City, Hayward residents, and Hayward businesses to recover. Changes made regarding state and federal COVID-19 legislation were made to the Community and Economic Development section, stating that the City do the following:
Support legislation that would provide economic relief for local businesses and commercial property owners affected by the COVID-19 shut-downs and stay-in-place orders.
Voting Rights
In the wake of the impacts of COVID-19 and a myriad of changes to state and federal voting laws, the City has made it a priority to examine and strengthen voter accessibility for residents of Hayward. The update of the Hayward Legislative Program includes the City’s support legislation and policies that expand rights, increase accessibility, and provide protections for voters in Hayward.
The changes to Voting Rights as an area of policy concern would state that the City do the following:
Support legislation that establishes or expands early voting opportunities and increases physical voting accessibility for elderly and disabled voters; Support legislation that expands voter registration opportunities by establishing or expanding automatic voter registration and same-day or Election Day registration; Oppose ballot initiatives that restrict mail-in voting ballot eligibility, accessibility to drop boxes, or ability to remain on an absentee voting ballot list; Oppose ballot initiatives that impose harsher in-person voting requirements or limit the number and accessibility of polling locations; and, Oppose ballot initiatives that restrict voter registration or expand voter roll purging.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with this report. However, supporting continued funding is not measurable at this time, but could likely provide a positive impact to the organization and community.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
The updates made to the Legislative Program were made to reflect and support the Council’s priorities and priority projects as outlined in the Strategic Roadmap.
NEXT STEPS
If the Council adopts the attached resolution, staff will draft a letter for the Mayor to send to the Board of Supervisors along with the signed resolution.
Prepared by: Terence Candell, Management Fellow
Laurel James, Management Analyst
Recommended by: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
Approved by:
________________________________
Kelly McAdoo, City Manager