Coral Gables adopts 2026 legislative package and six funding requests totaling $3.1 million

The Coral Gables City Commission on Sept. 25 adopted its 2026 legislative agenda, a package that sets policy priorities and formal appropriation requests the city will advance through its lobbying team and legislative champions in Tallahassee.

Package highlights: The policy portion includes longstanding priorities (infrastructure resilience, public safety, mobility) plus six new policy items added after department and commission input: sovereign immunity concerns, redundant communications infrastructure, expanded property-tax relief for vulnerable residents, e-bike and micromobility safety, cybersecurity protections, and support for educational excellence.

Appropriation requests: The city advanced six funding requests that together total $3.1 million. The items are: gravity sanitary-sewer pipe rehabilitation ($450,000), traffic calming and safety downtown ($400,000), downtown drainage/flood mitigation ($450,000), ponds/corridor waterway improvements ($450,000), emergency generators for continuity ($500,000) and environmental remediation for debris and trash collection ($350,000). The city noted that $750,000 secured last year for other projects was a partial success and that appropriation pursuit is competitive.

Process and next steps: Government Affairs Director Chelsea Grinnell and the city's contracted lobbying team will coordinate outreach with state representatives and senators and prioritize shovel-ready projects that meet state criteria. The commission emphasized coordination with local legislative champions and asked staff and lobbyists to continue targeted outreach and to notify the commission of opportunities or required changes.

Ending: Commissioners praised the collaborative process used to assemble the agenda and urged the lobbying team to press the case in a tight state budget environment.