Auburn council reviews 2026 legislative priorities; surveillance and PFML language draw debate
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Summary
Councilors reviewed a draft list of 2026 state legislative priorities and split over language about restricting limits on ALPR (Flock) camera use and concerns about the state Paid Family & Medical Leave program27s operational impacts; staff will refine language and return the document for approval.
Mayor and staff presented a draft 2026 state legislative priorities document at the Dec. 8 study session and solicited council direction on several public-safety and labor issues.
Council members asked staff to tighten language around requests for additional funding sources for officer recruitment and retention (for example, councilmanic public-safety sales tax, impact fees or state-directed funding) so the legislative asks are specific and not dismissible. The mayor and staff agreed to refine the text for clarity.
A more contentious discussion focused on language opposing bills that would severely restrict automated license-plate reader (ALPR/Flock) use. Some council members, citing law-enforcement presentations, argued restricting access would hinder locating criminals and missing or vulnerable people; others raised concerns that ALPR data has been misused (for stalking, domestic-violence tracking and potential improper access) and urged stronger privacy protections and tighter public-records limits. Staff proposed revising wording to emphasize preserving law-enforcement utility while improving safeguards.
Council also debated a labor-and-workforce section that questions Washington State27s Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) program as currently structured. City HR and department leaders said their operational experience shows PFML can be stacked with employer-provided leave, that employers currently lack auditing visibility into state PFML claims, and that extended absences have strained staffing for essential services. Staff urged cleaning up statutory language or adding auditing and clarity for public employers; some councilors cautioned against alarmist framing and asked for clearer evidence to support requests.
Staff said they will revise the draft priorities to tighten language on funding asks, ALPR protections and PFML concerns and bring the refined document back to council for potential approval at the next meeting.