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San Jose accepts spring intergovernmental relations report as staff warns of federal cuts, immigration actions
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Summary
The San Jose City Council unanimously accepted the city’s spring Intergovernmental Relations report on April 29, in which staff outlined federal and state advocacy work, flagged loss of FY25 earmarks after a federal continuing resolution, and described priorities including homelessness funding, BART Phase 2, and 2026 event funding.
The San Jose City Council unanimously accepted the city’s spring Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) report on April 29, a staff briefing that summarized federal, state and regional lobbying activity from December through early April and flagged several emerging risks and advocacy priorities.
Sarah Sarate, Director of the City Manager’s Office of Administration, Policy and Intergovernmental Relations, said the city is tracking more than 238 bills this session and has issued more than 30 advocacy letters. Leslie Pollner and consultants described the short-term federal picture as constrained after Congress approved a continuing resolution in March that froze spending levels through September and eliminated earmarks — including the city’s FY25 earmark requests. The city plans to resubmit several earmark requests for FY26.
IGR staff outlined priority areas for advocacy, including sustainable funding for homelessness responses, BART to Silicon Valley Phase 2 funding, resources tied to major sporting events in 2026, and state-level proposals on housing, municipal finance and immigration. Staff also reported that HUD and DHS executed a memorandum of understanding to encourage cooperation on immigration enforcement data-sharing; city staff said they are monitoring federal executive actions and legal injunctions closely.
“Budget uncertainty in Washington and Sacramento is real,” Leslie Pollner told council. “The governor’s May revise and the federal budget reconciliation process introduce near-term risk for a range of programs the city relies on, including potential cuts to housing and health programs.” IGR consultant testimony noted the Homeland Security markup included $625 million for host-committee assistance for major events and that the city is working both state and federal channels to seek event-related funding.
Councilmembers asked detailed questions about several bills staff is monitoring, including AB476 (anti-copper theft measures) and SB753 (shopping cart recovery), AB609 and SB607 (CEQA/streamlining proposals), AB1061 (SB9-related housing in historic districts), and immigration- and treatment-focused bills tied to Proposition 36 implementation. Staff said some bills are under consideration for positions and that follow-up will be provided to council members as analyses conclude.
Councilmember Cohen moved to accept the report; the motion passed unanimously. City staff said they will continue outreach trips to Sacramento and Washington, D.C., submit FY26 earmark requests, track the May revise in early May, and prepare implications for the council if federal or state funding changes materialize.
Votes at a glance: Council accepted the spring IGR report unanimously on April 29.
