Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Pasadena public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
3 issues in general with critical priority
November 2026 ballot measure positions
Facing a structural deficit, the council is weighing new taxes for the November ballot. It unanimously directed staff to draft a fire-focused parcel tax covering station rebuilds, a new station, headquarters and a training center, and will revisit a parking tax next week. Housing advocates pushed a real property transfer tax for affordable housing instead.
Caltrans tenants and AB 2329
Multiple tenants described decades of deferred maintenance, health hazards, and pressure in the Caltrans home sale process, urging the city to demand a moratorium on sales and removal of Caltrans and Veterans Realty Group from the process.
State Route 710 relinquishment
The council set the direction for redeveloping the 50-acre former 710 freeway stub: at least 1,800 homes, a new boulevard and linear park, tax-increment financing, and a carbon-neutral district designation. Restorative justice elements for the displaced neighborhoods were split off for a later meeting. Actual construction is years away — this vote starts the entitlement and environmental review process.