DATE:
September 8, 2026
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
City Clerk’s Office
City Manager’s Office
TITLE: 2026 Cal Cities Annual Conference Voting
Delegate and Alternate and Resolution
RECOMMENDATION
1. Designate Councilmember Kamei as the voting delegate and Mayor Ramos as the voting alternate for the General Assembly meeting at the 2026 Cal Cities Annual Conference.
2. Adopt a recommended position regarding the Cal Cities Annual Conference Resolution for 2026.
3. Authorize the City’s voting delegate or alternate to cast a vote at the Cal Cities Annual Conference to reflect the position adopted by the City Council.
BACKGROUND
The League of California Cities (“League” or “Cal Cities”) holds an annual conference of its membership. The 2026 Cal Cities Annual Conference is scheduled to take place September 23-25 in Anaheim, C alifornia. An important part of the Annual Conference is the Annual Business Meeting (during General Assembly), which will be held on September 25. Each member city has the right to cast one vote at the Annual Business Meeting on matters pertaining to Cal Cities policy. To vote, one voting delegate and up to two voting alternate (s) must be designated by action of the City Council and be present at the Business Meeting. The delegate and alternate(s) must be registered to attend the conference , obtain a voting card, and register with the Credentials Committee at the Voting Delegate Desk in the conference registration area. The voting card may be transferred only between the voting delegate and the alternate(s).
This year, one policy resolution has been introduced and will be considered by the Housing, Community, and Economic Development Committee, which will meet on September 17 via Zoom to review the resolution and make a recommendation that will be sent to the Resolutions Committee. The Resolutions Committee consists of one representative from each of Cal Cities ’ caucuses, departments, divisions, and policy committees, as well as up to ten additional appointments made by the Cal Cities President.
2026 Cal Cities Annual Conference Voting Delegate and Alternate and Resolution September 8, 2026
ANALYSIS
Below is a summary of the resolution under consideration for 2026, with detailed League information in Attachment 2. It is important to note that the City’s vote on this resolution represents its comments on League policy and not an action on behalf of the City of Mountain View. Impacts may be applicable to Mountain View if the policy matter described in the resolution is ultimately enacted. Staff’s r ecommendation is summarized below. The voting delegate/alternate may gain new information at the conference that may help inform their vote.
League Resolution No. 1: A Resolution of the General Assembly of the League of California Cities Calling for a Working Group to Consider a State Constitutional Amendment or Other Form of Initiative to Ensure Final Local Authority Over Housing and Land Use Decisions.
Summary of
Resolution,
Source, and
League
Referral
Summary: Resolution No. 1 states that the League of California Cities (Cal Cities) will:
1. Support the development and advancement of a state constitutional amendment or legislative, policy, or ballot -
based strategy that
restores and strengthens local authority over housing and land use matters, including general plans, housing elements, zoning, density, design and development standards, project siting, and the approval or denial of housing development applications.
Pursuant to the resolution, the strategy should preserve the state’s authority to set broad, statewide housing goals and enforce civil rights, fair housing, building safety, and environmental standards while protecting local control by preventing the state from compelling the approval of developments that conflict with local requirements, override local zoning or density standards, or overturn local land use decisions where a city has planned for and maintained sufficient capacity to meet housing obligations.
2. Consider establishing a statewide working group or other appropriate committee(s) to evaluate and develop a proposed constitutional amendment or other legislative, policy, or ballot -based strategies to restore and strengthen local authority over housing and land use matters.
The resolution states: “conducting legal, fiscal, and policy analyses; engaging cities and other stakeholders; and building a statewide coalition of proponent supporters in preparation for the November 2030 General Election, or within another reasonable time period.” 2026 Cal Cities Annual Conference Voting Delegate and Alternate and Resolution September 8, 2026
League Resolution No. 1: A Resolution of the General Assembly of the League of California Cities Calling for a Working Group to Consider a State Constitutional Amendment or Other Form of Initiative to Ensure Final Local Authority Over Housing and Land Use Decisions.
Source: League of California Cities
Referred to: Housing, Community, and Economic Development
Impact to
Mountain View, if
Any1
There is potential for cities like Mountain View to gain greater local control over housing development regulations and review from this resolution.
Recommendation2 Support.
______________________________
1 League Resolutions are not actions on behalf of the City of Mountain View. Rather, they are reflective of the League and its member cities.
2 League actions that may be taken can include: Approve, Disapprove, No Action, Refer to Appropriate Policy Committee for Study, Amend, Approve as Amended, Approve with Additional Amendment(s), Amend and Refer as Amended to Appropriate Policy Committee for Study, Additional Amendments and Refer, Amend (for Clarity or Brevity) and Disapprove, Amend (for Clarity or Brevity) and Take No Action, and Withdrawn by Sponsor (see Attachment 2).
The concept of local control over land use decision- making has been the subject of much discussion as the state has grappled with the housing crisis. The Legislature has diminished local control over housing approvals in recent years in an effort to increase the rate of housing project approvals. However, the resolution states that California’s housing goals can be more effectively advanced through state funding, streamlined environmental requirements, and voluntary partnerships that support housing production while preserving local control to determine how and where housing is best planned and approved.
Importantly, the resolution also acknowledges that any constitutional amendment or alternative strategy stemming from this effort should preserve the state’s authority to establish broad statewide housing goals and enforce constitutional and civil rights, fair housing r equirements, building and life-safety standards, and generally applicable environmental protections. This is an important balancing provision, given that some communities have used local control in the past to obstruct and limit housing development. Given how the resolution seeks to combine the restoration of local control of land use decision -making with recognition that the state has an important role to address housing policy at the regional and statewide levels, it appropriately recognizes that local control can help to achieve statewide housing goals in ways that are appropriate to the local context, while absent sufficient guardrails, local control can undermine broader state housing goals.
2026 Cal Cities Annual Conference Voting Delegate and Alternate and Resolution September 8, 2026
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this recommendation for the League of California Cities Annual Conference resolution . Supporting the resolution does not commit the City to specific programs or expenditures.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Provide different direction to the voting delegate/alternate(s) on the League resolution.
2. Decline to appoint a voting delegate or alternate.
PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting.
Prepared by:
Heather Glaser
City Clerk
Christina Gilmore
Intergovernmental Relations Manager
Approved by:
Audrey Seymour
Assistant City Manager
Attachments: 1. Voting Guidelines
2. League Annual Conference Resolution Packet for 2026