Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Burlingame public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
18 issues in taxes budget
Peninsula Tourism Marketing District Expansion
Burlingame's hotel tax has sat at 12% since 2009 while most neighboring cities charge 14-15%. Raising it could add up to $6.6 million a year to help close projected budget deficits and fund big projects — but hoteliers worry it could cost the city airline crew business. A measure could go to voters in November 2026; miss that window and the next chance is 2028.
Damage claims against the city
The council met privately with legal counsel about a claim that could expose the city to litigation. Any settlement or response would come back to public view later.
Public records request surge and data mining
Public records requests more than quadrupled this fall, mostly from commercial data-mining companies that then sell the data. It's costing the city over $442,000 a year in staff time it can't recover, and it's crowding out other work in the clerk's office.
Transient Occupancy Tax increase on November ballot
The council put a hotel tax increase on the November 3 ballot — from 12% to 15%. If it passes, the city gets roughly $5.7 million more a year for general services, and a study session in January 2027 would decide how to spend it. Hotel managers mostly supported it, asking the city to reinvest in the Bayfront corridor.
New City Hall Financing (Industrial Development Authority)
To finance the new City Hall at 1440 Chapin Avenue, the city is activating a dormant Industrial Development Authority to serve as a bond issuer. The councilmembers will sit as its board.
Labor negotiations with city employee unions
The city averaged a 6.9% vacancy rate in 2025 across 235.4 positions, slightly worse than 2024. Colson suggested automating the labor-intensive annual AB 2561 report with AI.
FY 2026-27 budget and shrinking reserves
The city is running a $3.1M General Fund deficit next year, dropping unassigned reserves to $293K, with paused pension and capital reserve contributions. Rising fire contract costs and state mandates drive spending growth.
Community service organization funding
The Council funded local nonprofits for another year, but a resident called the program invisible and unaccountable. Councilmembers agreed to advertise the program more broadly while keeping a Burlingame-only nexus.
State VLF Shortfall
The state owes Burlingame about $5.5 million in vehicle license fees. The mayor floated accounting strategies to recover value; staff will report back after the state budget settles.
Labor negotiations with AFSCME Local 829
The city is negotiating with the union representing its administrative and maintenance employees. Any resulting wage or benefit agreement affects the city's payroll costs and, eventually, the budget residents fund. Details stay confidential until a tentative agreement is reached.
Downtown Burlingame Avenue assessment renewal
Broadway and downtown businesses will again pay BID assessments funding lighting, plantings, signage, and events. The downtown levy is now billed with business license renewals after a fiscal-year change.
City Investment Policy and Portfolio Performance
The City's roughly $250 million-range of idle cash is invested under a State-law-constrained policy prioritizing safety, liquidity, then return. The portfolio has earned about $25 million since 2014 and beats its benchmark by 28 basis points, but the Council debated whether it should accept more risk for higher returns given long-term fiscal pressures.
SB 827 Fiscal Training Requirements
New State law requires Council members, commissioners, and key staff to complete a two-hour fiscal ethics training every two years. The City has contracted with NetFile to deliver it, and the Council considered — but deferred — adding training language to the investment policy.
Master Fee Schedule increases
City fees rise for FY 2026-27, with fire department fees up about 4% because of the new fire labor contract's raises.
November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election
Three council seats — Districts 1, 3, and 5 — are up for full terms this November, and Mayor Brownrigg announced he won't run again. Voters in those districts will choose new representation.
City Pension Liabilities and Section 115 Trust
Burlingame owes about $93 million in unfunded CalPERS pension debt across its two plans, and the police plan is only 65% funded. The actuary recommended keeping the $26.6 million reserve trust intact rather than using it to lower near-term contributions — a decision that will come back at budget time.
Affordability and high cost of living
Residents and council alike flagged that it's expensive to live and run a business here, and that staffing the city is getting harder. One group's vision statement focused on making the city affordable for working families.
OPEB retiree healthcare liabilities
The city owes about $70 million in promised retiree healthcare with roughly half pre-funded — a $35.2 million gap. The plan is funded at about average for California cities, and costs will keep rising for at least a decade before declining.