Tracked Issues
Editorially curated live civic issues linked to meetings, organizations, statements, and news.
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November 2026 Elections — Four Council Seats & the City's Direction • Featured
active • Governance, Elections, and Civic Process
Last activity: Jun 21, 2026
Berkeley's November 2026 City Council elections are among the most consequential in the East Bay, with four district seats on the ballot and two races without incumbents. Voters in four districts will elect their City Council representative…
Police Accountability & Civilian Oversight — A System Under Pressure • Featured
active • Police accountability
Last activity: Jun 21, 2026
Berkeley's Police Accountability Board — created by voters in 2020 as a civilian oversight body with meaningful investigative authority — is facing mounting institutional pressure that its former director has called alarming. Hansel Aguilar…
Historic Preservation vs. Housing — Landmarking as a Blocking Tool • Featured
active • Historic preservation
Last activity: Jun 21, 2026
Berkeley's Landmarks Preservation Commission has become one of the most contentious battlegrounds in the city's housing politics — and the City Council is now moving to reform it. City officials who pushed for Berkeley to require more citiz…
The $300 Million Infrastructure Bond — A Second Chance After 2022's Failure • Featured
active • Infrastructure
Last activity: Jun 21, 2026
Berkeley's infrastructure is in crisis — and the city is making a second attempt at a major bond measure after a 2022 effort failed at the ballot. It is currently estimated that Berkeley's long-term infrastructure needs will exceed $1.5 bil…
The $27 Million Structural Deficit — Layoffs, a Sales Tax & a November Reckoning • Featured
active • Budget priorities
Last activity: Jun 21, 2026
Berkeley is at a genuine fiscal crossroads — and November 2026 will determine whether the city can avoid deep service cuts. The Berkeley City Manager has proposed a budget plan that includes layoffs of 38 filled positions and elimination of…
November 2026 Elections — A Board Reshaped by June's Results • Featured
active • Governance, Elections, and Civic Process
Last activity: Jun 16, 2026
Alameda County's political landscape is being reset by a combination of June 2026 primary results and November 2026 general elections that will determine the Board of Supervisors' direction on every major issue. Incumbent District 2 Supervi…
Homelessness Funding vs. Incarceration — The Ongoing "Care First, Jails Last" Debate • Featured
active • Homelessness
Last activity: Jun 16, 2026
Alameda County adopted a "Care First, Jails Last" resolution in 2021 committing to prioritize behavioral health and social services over incarceration — a principle that is now being tested by every budget decision the county makes. The ten…
Santa Rita Jail & the Behavioral Health Crisis — Federal Oversight Continues • Featured
active • Mental health
Last activity: Jun 16, 2026
Santa Rita Jail — the fifth-largest county jail in the United States — remains under federal court oversight following a landmark settlement over the treatment of people with mental disabilities. The Babu consent decree placed the county un…
Homelessness — A $33–60 Million Federal Funding Hole • Featured
active • Homelessness
Last activity: Jun 16, 2026
Alameda County's homelessness response is one of the most ambitious in California — and it is now facing a potentially devastating federal funding reversal. HUD announced it will limit funding for permanent housing programs that prioritize …
The $91.4 Million Budget Gap — Closed for Now, Fragile Going Forward • Featured
active • Budget priorities
Last activity: Jun 16, 2026
Alameda County is navigating one of the most significant budget challenges in its recent history — and a near-miss was averted largely thanks to voter-approved local revenue. The Board of Supervisors was presented with a $6.7 billion budget…