CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 1 Section Name: NEW BUSINESS Account Number: File ID: 26-12739 TO: City Council Legislative Committee
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: City Manager's Office
MEETING DATE: October 12, 2026
SUBJECT: November 3, 2026 Statewide Ballot Measures — Discussion RECOMMENDATION:
Receive a report on selected November 2026 Statewide Ballot Measures presented by the City's legislative consultant, California Public Policy Group (CPPG), and recommend positions for City Council consideration, consistent with the Council-adopted Legislative Advocacy Policy.
BACKGROUND:
On March 2, 2026, the City Council formally adopted the 2026 Legislative Platform, which establishes the City’s legislative priorities and guides its positions on state legislation and ballot measures.
Staff, in coordination with the City’s legislative consultant, California Public Policy Group (CPPG), reviewed the 14 statewide propositions appearing on the November 3, 2026 General Election ballot (Attachment 1). This report provides an overview of the measures and highlights select propositions for Legislative Committee consideration based on their potential impacts on San Mateo and alignment with the Legislative Platform. CPPG will present an overview of these selected measures at the Legislative Committee meeting (Attachment 2).
Election Timeline
Key dates for the November 3, 2026 General Election include:
• October 5: County elections officials begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots. • October 19: Last day to register to vote (conditional voter registration remains available through Election Day). • November 3: General Election.
• December 11: Deadline for the Secretary of State to certify election results.
Unless a measure provides otherwise, an approved measure takes effect on the fifth day after the Secretary of State certifies the results. Implementation timing varies by measure based on constitutional rules, statutes, and any transitional provisions in the measure text. For example, Proposition 43 applies only to measures placed on local ballots on or after January 1, 2027.
Overview of the November 2026 Ballot
Fourteen (14) statewide measures have qualified for the November 3, 2026 ballot: nine (9) citizen initiatives and five (5) legislative measures. The measures generally fall into the following categories:
• Six (6) of these measures, if approved, have financial and policy impacts on local governments in the following areas: voter-proposed special taxes, voter identification in elections, public campaign financing, permit streamlining for “essential projects,” and two housing bond proposals.
CITY OF SAN MATEO
• Five (5) measures focus on state revenue and budgeting issues, with potentially major policy outcomes, including with Prop. 40, the “Billionaire’s Tax.”
• Three (3) address a spectrum of other policy issues: the process for recalling state officers, an $8.4 billion immunology research bond, and expenditure thresholds for federally qualified health centers.
The ballot numbering skips from Proposition 5 to Proposition 37. AB 182 (Pellerin, 2026), a budget trailer bill, directed the Secretary of State to list Propositions 1 through 5 first so that voters would see them at the top of the ballot.
Ballot Measure Positions: Definitions
Because a ballot measure cannot be amended once it has qualified, the positions available for ballot measure engagement are limited to the following:
Support: A Support position indicates to voters, the Legislature, and other stakeholders that the City is in favor of the ballot measure in question.
Oppose: An Oppose position indicates that the City is against the ballot measure in question.
Watch: A Watch position is an internal designation indicating that the City is closely monitoring and evaluating the measure. Should factors change, the City reserves the right to adopt a formal external position.
State law (Government Code Section 54964 and caselaw) prohibits the use of public funds for communications that expressly advocate for or against a ballot measure. Subject to the foregoing, the City Council may still lawfully take a position on ballot measures.
Statewide Ballot Measures Identified for Consideration
Staff and CPPG identified five propositions for further consideration based on their potential impacts on the City and alignment with the Legislative Platform. The table below summarizes these measures, the recommended positions, and corresponding platform statements. Attachment 1 provides additional information on all 14 statewide propositions.
Following the Legislative Committee’s review and discussion, any recommended positions on statewide ballot measures will be brought forward to the full City Council for consideration at the October 19, 2026 meeting.
Measure Title Placed on Ballot By Recommended
Position
Relevant Legislative Platform
Statement
Prop. 45 Building an Affordable
California Act
Initiative Discuss • Transportation and Public Works
Statement No. 9
• Community Development and
Housing Statement No. 6
Prop. 43 Local Special Taxes: Vote
Threshold
Legislative (ACA
22)
Oppose • Administration and Fiscal
Sustainability Statement No. 4
Prop. 1 Veterans and Affordable
Housing Bond of 2026
Legislative (SB 417) Support • Administration and Fiscal Sustainability Statement No. 5
Prop. 37 California Middle-Class
Homeownership and Family
Home Construction Act of
2026
Initiative Support • Community Development and
Housing Statement No. 4
• Community Development and
Housing Statement No. 8
Prop. 40 The 2026 Billionaire Tax Act Initiative Discuss • Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Statement No. 9
CITY OF SAN MATEO
BUDGET IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with the recommended action beyond existing staff time and resources. No public funds may be used for campaign advocacy for or against a ballot measure.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This item is not a project subject to CEQA, because it is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).)
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
This staff report supports the Organizational Health and Good Governance initiative.
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – November 2026 Propositions: Summaries and Analysis Att 2 – PowerPoint Presentation
STAFF CONTACT
Zachary Reda, Senior Management Analyst
[email protected]
(650) 435-0823
Jennifer Yamaguma, Assistant City Manager
[email protected]
(650) 522-7003