Tracked Issues
Editorially curated live civic issues linked to meetings, organizations, statements, and news.
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City Council Tensions — Governing a Small City With Big Disagreements • Featured
active • Governance, Elections, and Civic Process
Last activity: Jun 28, 2026
Emeryville's five-person City Council is producing genuinely substantive policy — but doing so against a backdrop of internal tensions that have occasionally become part of the public record. A tense exchange between Councilmembers Priforce…
The 40th Street Multimodal Project — Seniors vs. Cyclists • Featured
active • Traffic / congestion
Last activity: Jun 28, 2026
Emeryville's most contested infrastructure project is pitting two of the city's core values — safe active transportation and accessible aging-friendly design — directly against each other. A large portion of the January 20 City Council meet…
Police Staffing Crisis — A Potential 40% Vacancy Rate • Featured
active • Crime and Public Safety
Last activity: Jun 28, 2026
Emeryville's Police Department is heading into a staffing emergency that could undermine the city's hard-won crime reduction progress. The department reported a remarkable 20% decline in overall crime in 2025, with property crimes making up…
The $31.7 Million Affordable Housing Commitment — A City That Bets Big on Seniors • Featured
active • Housing Affordability
Last activity: Jun 28, 2026
Emeryville made one of the most significant affordable housing financial commitments in its history in spring 2026 — and the debate over whether it was the right call divided the City Council for nearly two hours. The Council debated approv…
The $8.3 Million Structural Deficit — A Business License Tax on the November Ballot • Featured
active • Budget priorities
Last activity: Jun 28, 2026
Emeryville is staring down a fiscal crisis that will define the November 2026 election. The City Council began a May 19 meeting with a comprehensive study session on bridging a structural deficit in the general fund, which currently stands …
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…