Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in East Palo Alto public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
5 issues in taxes budget with medium priority
November 2026 General Municipal Election
Two city council seats — held by Ruben Abrica and Martha Barragan — expire in December 2026, and this resolution sets the election to fill them. The city will pay San Mateo County roughly $52,000 to $62,400 to run the vote, already covered in the budget.
City vacancies and SEIU staffing concerns
Vacancy rate is down to 4.8%, but SEIU says maintenance worker, public works secretary, and building inspector positions have sat empty, stretching workloads.
BMR monitoring fee debate
Below-market-rate homeowners pay $129 a month — about $1,548 a year — for monitoring of their units. Councilmember Dinan called the fee excessive for low-income owners; others defended it as the price of enforcing deed restrictions that has recovered units sold improperly. The fee is now frozen until the EPA CAN DO contract expires in October.
Legislative advocacy platform
The city's first legislative platform gives staff a framework to take positions on state and federal legislation aligned with council priorities — including $2 million recently won for Woodland Avenue safety and $600,000 for a creek floodway study.
Strategic priorities progress and deferred projects
Staff reported 39 of 59 strategic priority projects active, including the completed Colibri Commons and the 101 overcrossing. Four projects — library funding and design, the ten-year fiscal strategy, and water infrastructure financing — are deferred, which Vice Mayor Abrica flagged as worrying.