Glendale adopts 2026 legislative platform, emphasizing housing, transportation and targeted capital asks
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Summary
The Glendale City Council approved a 2026 legislative platform March 3 that highlights housing and transportation priorities, seeks funding for a $25 million South Glendale park (including a $6 million Prop 4 request), requests continuity funding for emergency housing vouchers and ESL programs, and instructs staff to pursue amendments and advocacy in Sacramento.
The Glendale City Council on March 3 adopted a draft 2026 legislative platform that staff said will guide the city's advocacy with state lawmakers during the current session and at the city's Sacramento advocacy days.
Staff presented the platform as a tool to "communicate and monitor the city's priorities," calling out housing and transportation as continuing top priorities and identifying specific bills and implementation concerns, including the MENA Inclusion Act (AB 91) implementation timeline and transit-oriented development bills such as SB 79 and SB 677. "The legislative platform is a tool used by staff to communicate and monitor the city's priorities," staff said during the presentation.
Why it matters: council members were told the platform will shape letters of support or opposition and, where possible, offer amendment language to mitigate local impacts. Staff described the packet as a curated watch list of bills; some items already carry a position and others will return to council for direction.
Key elements adopted: the platform carries fiscal responsibility and economic vibrancy themes and elevates several programmatic and capital asks. Staff flagged a planned request for $25,000,000 for a park in South Glendale and said the city will pursue a $6,000,000 funding request through Proposition 4; other capital needs noted in the presentation included a $5,600,000 estimate for the civic auditorium and a $27,000,000 estimate for Rock Haven Sanitarium rehabilitation.
On social services, staff asked the council to support continuity funding for English-as-a-second-language programming and for the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program. Staff said the EHV effort serves roughly 200 Glendale residents and is facing a budget shortfall and an imminent expiration; staff said they will pursue legislative and other funding options to keep participants housed.
Staff also presented a $500,000 request for the Glendale Youth Alliance divided into two components: $250,000 to support a homeless diversion program that provides up to 60 nights of hotel vouchers for youth ages 16 to 25, and $250,000 to fund local youth employment and internships.
Council reaction: members stressed the need to prioritize asks given limited state resources and asked staff to refine the list by urgency and likely deliverability. Several council members urged that the platform explicitly reference domestic violence and mental health within the "safe and healthy community" priority and said staff should coordinate with the commission on the status of women to bring forward any caucus priorities.
The council voted to receive and file the report and to adopt the 2026 legislative platform by roll call.
What comes next: staff said the city will participate in Sacramento advocacy days in mid-March and return to council in summer 2026 with an update on the state budget and any recommended amendments to the platform.
