Austin Rowe, the mayor’s chief of staff, presented Peoria’s proposed 2026 legislative agenda during the council’s Jan. 13 study session, saying the document is intended to guide the city’s interactions with state lawmakers and align advocacy with council priorities. "Peoria supports the protection of existing state shared revenues such as income, sales, property, and food taxes," Rowe said.

The agenda frames six pillars: protecting existing funding sources and local tax authority; preserving local decision-making and opposing preemption on land use; supporting long-term economic development and regional collaboration; investing in public safety and first-responder capacity; safeguarding water supplies and municipal authority over allocation and rates; and advocating for flexible transportation funding.

Rowe said the agenda is a flexible guide, not an exhaustive policy, and that items will require nuance when they appear in bills. He noted the state legislature had already introduced hundreds of proposals for 2026 and that both legislative majority plans and the governor’s State of the State speech emphasize housing affordability, Colorado River negotiations and potential changes to tax treatment for data centers. Rowe summarized one executive-budget proposal discussed by the governor: the creation of a $30 million river-protection fund to be supported by an additional fee on data-center water usage.

Council members asked about preserving city authority over land use. Rowe said Peoria will oppose preemptive state measures that override local zoning and referenced the city’s general-plan process (updated by voters in 2020) as the local framework for land-use decisions. Councilmember Matt Bullock commended the chance to speak directly with legislators and flagged water as a major cross-cutting issue.

Next steps described by staff include using the agenda as a reference when staff work with state legislators and returning to council when specific bills require a formal position or additional direction. The study session produced no formal council action; staff said they were prepared to brief council again as bills are assigned and more detail becomes available.